THE  > 

LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 


BY 

W.  F.  ALDER 


AUTHOR  OF 

"THE  FLYING  FOX"— "THE  HOUSE  UNBLESSED" 

"FANGS  OF  THE  BLUE"— "THE  INDEX  ERROR", 

"THE  ISLE  OF  VANISHING  MEN" 

ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


WAYSIDE  PRESS 

1921 


213408O 


Belle  Lettrta   Edition,  January.  1991 


Copyright.  1921 

by 
W.  F.  ALDER 


All   Right*   R 


Steve  saw  red"- 


Isle  of  beauty,  laved  by  southern  seas — 

Thy    coral    reefs    with    stately    palm    trees 
dressed ; 

Within  thy  arms  a  clear  lagoon  reflects 
The  smile  of  heaven,  and  Desire  is  blessed. 

— Dayton. 


HE  last  strains  of  a  dance  number 
floated  from  the  ballroom  of  The 
"Europe."  On  the  veranda  at  the 
tables,  white  shirt  fronts,  pink  shoulders,  the 
babble  of  small  talk  and  two  men  in  earnest  con- 
versation. 

Across  the  tennis  greens  beyond  the  sea  wall, 
the  roadstead  of  Singapore  with  the  blinking 
ship's  lights  of  a  dozen  nations.  There  was  no 
moon.  In  the  murk  of  the  distance,  the  waters 
of  the  harbor  were  as  placid  as  a  nun's  face. 

Idly  swinging  on  her  anchor  chains,  the  "Say- 
onara"  nuzzled  the  sluggish  tide.  Leaning 
flaccidly  upon  her  rail  was  a  spare  figure  in 
dungarees.  In  the  light  of  day,  his  face  spoke 
of  an  eternal  quest,  of  a  haunting  memory  that, 
when  his  searching  eyes  groped  far  behind 
yours,  was  questioning.  This  was  Steve. 

Screened  from  the  open  door  of  the  ball  room 


6  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

by  a  corpulent,  potted  Cyprus,  unmindful  of  the 
vapid  generalities  and  small  talk  drifting  from 
the  other  tables  sat  Markkam  and — Blackton. 
Markham,  thin  almost  to  emaciation,  his  snow 
white  hair  tumbled  in  becoming  riot,  was 
speaking. 

"You  say  you  can  go  anywhere  in  the  'Say- 
onara. '  That  may  be  very  true  but  is  she  fast?" 
Blackton  smiled. 

"There  isn't  anything  in  these  waters  that 
depends  on  the  wind  that  can  pass  her,"  he 
replied. 

"If  we  can  agree  on  price,  I'll  take  her  charter 
for  two  months." 

"That  depends  on  where  you're  going  and 
what  you're  going  after,"  said  Blackton. 

"Well,  Captain  Blackton  there  is  only  one 
way  in  which  I  will  charter  your  schooner.  That 
is  simply  this. — You  are  to  sail  her  according  to 
my  directions  to  a  certain  coral  island  and  ask 
no  questions  regarding  my  purpose.  I  will  take 
the  responsibility  for  the  safety  of  the  boat  in 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  1 

the  island  waters  for  I  know  them  well.  I  am 
going  to  this  island  after  certain  property  that 
is  of  great  value  to  me,  the  loss  of  which  has 
occasioned  me  much  trouble.  I  am  an  ex-sea 
captain  and  I  know  the  value  of  things.  You 
say  you  carry  a  crew  of  five  lascars,  a  white  mate 
and  that  the  boat  is  a  sixty  tonner.  I'll  pay  you 
three  thousand  dollars  Strait's  currency  a 
month  for  the  charter.  Take  it  or  leave  it." 

Blackton  leaned  back  in  his  chair  to  think. 
The  price  offered  was  a  fair  one.  It  was  even 
generous.  Then  his  crafty  brain  fell  to  wonder- 
ing what  the  something  was,  that  could  bring  a 
man  of  Markham 's  age  clear  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Singapore,  to  go  to  a  coral  island  a 
month's  sail  farther  on.  He  decided  to  fence  a 
little  to  elicit  further  information. 

" Suppose  we  run  into  a  British  patrol  boat?'' 
he  queried.  Markham  flushed  with  annoyance. 

"Do  I  look  like  a  blackguard T'  he  snapped. 

"No  offense,  Mr.  Markham,  but  you  under- 
stand that  I  don't  know  you  any  more  than  you 


8  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

know  me.    You're  asking  a  lot  in  tin's  charter." 

Ral  Singh,  the  Sikh  doorman  passed  at  that 
moment.  His  quick  ear  caught  the  last  words 
that  Blackton  uttered — "You're  asking  a  lot  in 
this  charter."  Ral's  brother  worked  on  the 
water  front  where  strange  tales  were  told  of 
many  mysterious  goings  and  comings  of  the 
Sayonara.  It  was  whispered  among  the  Malays 
that,  could  the  planks  of  the  staunch  little 
schooner  speak, — well,  men  had  seen  dark  stains 
upon  her  decks.  Her  white  mate  and  her 
present  crew  were  all  new  on  board.  The  others 
had  not  come  back  to  Singapore.  Ral  Singh 
murmured  to  himself — "Beware  Sahib,  Itu 
Orang  tida  biak"  (That  is  a  bad  man.) 

Markham  looked  at  Blackton  with  quiet  in- 
sistance. 

"Do  I  get  the  charter  or  not?" 

"Will  you  pay  the  insurance?"  asked  Black- 
ton. 

"Yes." 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 


'All   right,  we'll  make   out  the  papers  to- 


morrow. ' 


"When  can  you  sail?" 

"As  soon  as  you  sign  the  charter  and  I  get  my 
harbor  clearance." 

"Very  well,  we  shall  leave  the  day  after  to- 


morrow.' 


Rising.  Markham  concluded  the  talk  with 
"See  me  here  tomorrow  at  ten — we'll  conclude 
the  business  then." 

A  rickashaw  carried  Blackton  to  the  point  on 
the  bund  where  just  opposite  the  Sayonara.  the 
dinghy  lay.  As  he  paid  the  coolie,  the  two  las- 
cars  that  had  been  awaiting  him,  untied  the  boat 
from  the  piling  and  waited  with  oars  ready.  He 
was  taken  to  the  Sayonara  where  the  figure  was 
still  hanging  over  the  rail. 

"Better  turn  in  and  get  some  sleep" — was  his 
greeting  to  Steve.  "This  ketch  pulls  out  of  here 
day  after  tomorrow,  and  I  want  her  cleaned  up 
starting  early  in  the  morning.  You  give  me  the 
'willies'  anyway,  always  mooning  around.  You 


10  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

stare  at  every  man  you  see  like  he  was  a  lost 
brother — a  brother  that  you  had  a  grudge 
against.  Come  out  of  it."  So  saying,  Blackton 
went  to  his  cabin  and  turned  in. 

Steve  did  not  deign  to  make  reply.  The  only 
sound  that  came  from  where  he  stood  was  the 
stuttering  gurgle  of  his  briar.  It  was  a  very 
good  briar.  On  it's  bowl  were  carved  some  class 
numerals.  It  was  a  relic  of  former  days :  Days 
not  so  long  ago,  when  things  had  been  different. 

Men  around  the  water  front  of  Singapore  had 
long  ago  given  up  trying  to  add  Steve  up.  In 
the  parlance  of  the  habitues  of  the  bund  he  was 
a  "Nut".  Morose,  given  to  hours  of  stolid 
taciturnity  and  furtive  study  of  those  around 
him  who  had  the  smack  of  the  sea,  he  impressed 
the  less  discerning  of  the  water  front  crowd  as 
a  police  agent.  Those  who  had  discernment 
were  too  busy  in  their  own  affairs  to  notice  him. 
The  time  had  come  when  his  money  gave  out  and 
he  was  forced  to  seek  work.  Blackton,  arriving 
short  handed  from  the  Indies,  offered  him  a  job 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  11 

for  he  held  a  mate 's  ticket.  Blackton  hired  him 
because  of  his  apparent  lack  of  interest  in  what 
was  going  on  about  him.  He  liked  to  have  men 
around  him  that  didn't  see  too  much  and  that 
minded  their  own  business. 

The  formalities  of  the  charter  concluded, 
Blackton  awaited  the  coming  of  Markham  on 
the  sailing  day.  Markham  had  not  mentioned 
Lois  as  a  passenger,  and  when  she  came  aboard, 
Blackton  gave  her  a  swift  appraising  glance  and 
mentally  congratulated  himself,  anticipating 
more  or  less  entertainment  during  the  voyage. 
Lois  was  good  to  look  upon.  In  the  middle 
twenties,  clear  of  eye,  wholly  unspoiled  by  that 
air  of  laxity  and  ultra  Bohemianism  affected  by 
Blackton 's  female  acquaintances,  she  swung 
over  the  low  rail  and  with  a  level  glance  at 
Blackton  said: 

"Has  all  the  luggage  come?" 

He  caught  the  level  glance  and  answered, 
"Yes." 

With  the  word  his  eyes  dropped  to  survey  her. 


12  THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE 

It  was  that  kind  of  a  look  that  brought  the  color 
to  her  face  for  under  it  she  felt  utterly  nude. 

It  was  her  first  experience  with  a  hunter  of 
women  and  under  it  something  changed  within 
her.  Intuitively  the  warning  came,  to  fear  that 
man,  that  cannot  turn  his  eyes  to  those  of  woman 
and  keep  them  there. 

With  the  wisdom  of  many  conquests,  Black- 
ton  sought  to  cover  himself  for  he  realized  that 
here  was  different  stock  than  the  painted  ones 
of  the  hotels  of  Singapore. 

"I  assume  you  are  Mrs.  Markham'?" 

"No,  Miss  Markham,"  she  replied  a  little 
tartly. 

"I  might  have  known  that  by  the  way  you  got 
over  that  rail"  he  said,  "I'll  have  a  boy  show 
you  your  cabin." 

"Boy!" 

***** 

An  hour  later  Markham  came  aboard.  Under 
his  arm  he  carried  a  worn  portfolio.  With  a 
nod  to  the  captain  he  went  below  to  his  tiny 


THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE  13 

cabin,  and  soon  the  Sayonara  was  under  way. 

Night  had  fallen  when  they  passed  quarantine 
island.  Lois  and  her  father  sat  in  silence  in 
their  wicker  chairs  back  of  the  after  cabin.  They 
were  alone  on  the  deck  for  Blackton  was  busy  in 
his  cabin.  The  lilting  air  of  " Peggy  Brady" 
drifted  aft  from  the  favorite  lounging  place  of 
Steve.  Hopelessly  addicted  to  the  mouth  organ, 
he  sat  slumped  against  the  mast,  braced  against 
the  motion  of  the  Sayonara  by  limbs  spread  at 
an  impossible  angle.  It  was  his  tribute  to  the 
night,  and  too,  one  often  suspected  him  of 
having,  well — memories. 

The  velvet  blackness  of  the  "Coal  Pit,"  the 
ebon  depths  of  which  open  from  the  silver  arch 
of  the  Milky  Way  made  a  background  for  a 
dream  picture  of— a  memory,  and  Steve  gazing, 
wrapt  in  fancies,  let  fall  the  beloved  harmonica, 
lost  in  reverie. 

His  face  drew  with  a  wince  of  pain.  He 
turned.  There,  burning  in  the  blackness  of  the 
tropic  moonless  sky,  he  saw  the  Southern  Cross. 


14  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

He  too,  bore  a  Cross  and  like  the  one  above,  it 
was  a  broken  kite. 

His  head  drooped,  one  hand  stole  up,  knuckles 
to  his  lips.  The  fist  closed  slowly,  hardening 
as  teeth  met  flesh  and  left  their  mark.  Groping 
by  his  side,  the  other  hand  found  the  old  har- 
monica, closed  quickly  on  it,  and  raised  it  to  the 
other.  Softly  first,  then  swelling  with  his  feel- 
ing, came  "The  Rosary,"  plaintively  sweet  and 
like  a  choir  invisible. 

As  the  last  sweet  note  hovered  on  the  wings  of 
the  light  night  wind,  a  cloud,  black  as  the  night 
itself,  blotted  out  the  Cross.  Steve  rose,  and 
slapping  the  harmonica  across  his  open  palm, 
looked  once  more  at  the  blackness,  then,  uncon- 
scious of  the  lascar  at  the  wheel,  went  to  his 
cabin.  His,  was  the  early  morning  watch. 

Lifting  her  head  to  the  lazy  swells,  the  Say- 
onara  winged  her  silent  way  to  find  a  golden 
fleece,  her  wake  a  sparkling  silver  pathway  in 
the  blackness. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  15 

"Who  is  that  man,  father1?"  whispered  Lois 
as  he  went  below. 

"His  name  is  Steve,"  he  answered. 

***** 

Two  bells.  In  the  east  now  comes  a  line  where 
sky  and  sea  meet.  A  faint  glow  tinges  the  low 
hanging  clouds.  A  molten  mound  lifts  from  the 
water's  edge,  tipping  the  crests  of  the  breeze 
awakened  sea  with  gold. 

A  restless  sea  of  sapphire  with  a  lane  of  topaz, 
the  natal  greeting  of  a  new  day. 

Came  a  stirring  from  the  cabin,  a  petulant 
"Pshaw"  accompanied  with  the  clatter  of  a 
basin  falling — footsteps,  then,  breaking  like  the 
day  itself  from  the  cabin  door  stepped  Lois. 
"Good  morning,  Steve." 
"Good  morning,  Miss  Markham." 
"Oh,  what  a  morning," — this  to  herself,  then, 
"Where  are  we  now  Steve,  how  many  more  days 
will  it  bel    I'm  hungry,  I  wish  Dad  would  get 
up."    Steve  grinned.    Volley  firing  was  a  char- 
acteristic of  Lois'  conversation. 


16  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

"Well,  we're  just  about  on  the  Line,  that's 
Black  Island  over  there.  I  don't  know  how 
many  more  days  we  will  be,  but  if  the  wind  holds 
steady  and  that  glass — (pointing  to  the  aneroid 
hanging  on  the  bulkhead)  don't  keep  on  drop- 
ping, and  the  skipper  finds  the  place,  I  calculate 
that  we  might  be  in  soon,  but  I'd  know  better 
if  I  knew  just  where  we're  going.  You  see,  Miss 
Markham,  the  skipper  ain't  never  taken  the 
trouble  to  tell  his  first  officer  where  he's  shipped 
for." 

Lois  looked  at  Steve  in  surprise. 

"Don't  you  know  where  we  are  going  Steve?" 

"Honest  Injun,  Miss,  all  I  know  is  that  I'm 
steering  South  20  West  this  watch  and  that's 
all." 

Lois  stopped  to  think,  a  thing  that  she  was 
fully  capable  of  doing.  Stepping  nearer  to  him, 
one  hand  on  the  cabin  deck  combing  to  steady 
herself,  she  opened  her  lips  to  speak. 

"Lois!" 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  17 

The  thin  voice  came  from  the  open  saloon 
transom. 

' 'Yes  Dad." 

"Come  and  help  me  with  my  things  for  a 
moment." 

With  a  look  of  perplexity  clouding  her  face, 
she  went  below.  Scratching  his  head  with  a  pen- 
sive forefinger,  Steve  glanced  into  the  binnacle 
and  gave  the  Sayonara  two  points. 

"It's  a  queer  run  this,"  soliloquized  Steve. 
''The  old  gentleman  looking  at  the  'blue  backs' 
(Admiralty  Charts)  all  day,  the  skipper  never 
giving  me  a  hint  as  to  where  we're  going  and 
passing  it  off  when  I  ask  him."  Steve  paused  a 

moment,  lost  in  thought.  "I  wonder  if , 

Lord!  Maybe Well,  I'll  wait  and  see." 

A  thumping  of  boots  interrupted  further 
thought  along  these  lines  and  with  a  curt  "Stir 
up  the  cookee,"  punctuated  with  a  nod  aft,  the 
skipper  took  the  wheel.  Passed  two  weeks, 
'neath  azure  skies,  on  a  sea  that  kissed  the  stem 
of  the  Sayonara  with  smothered  weeping. 


18  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

It  was  middle  forenoon.  Curled  up  in  the 
shade  of  the  after  deck  house,  Lois  day-dreamed 
in  a  steamer  chair. 

The  frequent  advances  Blackton  made  to  her 
were  received  with  cold  disdain,  for  ever  recur- 
rent in  her  memory  was  the  manner  of  their  first 
meeting  and  his  appraising  look. 

Blackton  noted  Lois'  lack  of  occupation  and 
hoping  to  break  the  bar  of  her  reserve,  went  to 
his  cabin.  He  returned  shortly  with  an  armful 
of  books  which  he  took  to  her  saying, 

"Life  upon  a  sailing  schooner  has  it's  dull 
moments,  Miss  Markham.  Here  are  some  books 
with  which  you  can  put  in  the  time."  He  laid 
them  on  the  chair  at  her  feet.  Lois  raised  up 
on  her  elbow  and  thanked  him  without  warmth. 
Her  eyes  scanned  the  titles. 

"I  don't  know  much  about  what  is  in  them  for 
I  don't  get  much  time  to  read,  you  may  find  them 
interesting  however."  As  Lois  made  no  reply 
he  colored  slightly  and  turned  slowly  away. 

4 'Thank   you   Captain   Blackton,"   she   said 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIEE  19 

again,  "I  will  look  them  over."  So  saying,  Lois 
gathered  the  books  into  her  lap.  Opening  one 
of  them  at  the  fly  leaf  she  read,  scrawled  boldly 
across  it's  white  surface,  the  words  "Gloria 
Maitland." 

Something  that  she  did  not  sense,  some  in- 
tangible prompting  held  her  eyes  upon  that 
name.  It  became  indelibly  impressed  upon  her 
memory.  After  another  moment's  gaze  her  eyes 
lost  their  focus  upon  the  sheet  though  she  still 
dimly  saw  it.  In  her  fixed  abstraction  she 
seemed  to  look  through  it  and  beyond.  Through 
her  consciousness  drifted  some  sense  of  famil- 
iarity with  that  name.  It  seemed  as  though  she 
had  heard  it  or  perhaps  read  it  before  and  she 
racked  her  memory  to  recall  the  connection.  In- 
tuitively the  feeling  came  that  though  she  could 
not  place  it,  it  had  or  was  to  have,  some  place, 
some  bearing  upon  her  life.  She  shrugged  her 
shoulders  in  her  perplexity  and  turned  to  the 
first  chapter. 

Lois  ate  her  luncheon  on  deck,  the  book  in  one 


20  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

hand,  eating  with  the  other.  Late  that  after- 
noon she  had  finished  the  last  chapter.  She  sat 
silent  for  a  moment  lost  in  thought  about  the 
story,  then  the  name  on  the  fly  leaf  came  to  her. 
Somehow  there  seemed  to  be  a  bond,  a  tenuous 
something  linking  her  to  that  name.  A  name- 
less oppression  gripped  her.  It  was  as  though 
the  girl  who  had  written  her  name  upon  that 
leaf  were  trying  to  speak  to  her. 

The  coming  of  Steve  on  deck  roused  her  from 
her  thoughts.  As  he  passed  her,  he  noted  the 
expression  of  wrapt  concentration  on  her  face. 

"Didn't  it  end  well?"  he  asked.  Lois  looked 
up  at  him  and  smiled.  "Oh  yes"  she  replied, 
"It  was  something  else,  I  was — "  then  with  the 
thought  that  Steve  might  think  her  foolish 
should  she  attempt  to  explain,  she  passed  the 
matter  off  with,  "I  was  thinking  of  something 
else."  Steve  grinned  and  made  his  way  for- 
ward. 

Farther  down  the  deck  sitting  in  a  Bombay 
chair,  poreing  over  an  old  and  tattered  chart, 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  21 

one  thin  blue  veined  hand  holding  his  gold  pince 
nez,  sat  Markham.  Now  and  then  lost  in  ab- 
straction, his  gaze  would  wander  from  the  chart 
and  center  on  the  horizon  or  far  beyond.  At 
such  times  his  cavernous  eyes  would  fill  with 
poignant  hunger  and  his  sensitive  lips  would 
form  silent  words  and  tremble.  Then  doubt 
would  shadow  the  fine  face,  and  he  would  take 
from  the  black  leather  portfolio,  a  worn  and 
frayed  manuscript,  turn  hastily  to  some  passage, 
often  consulting  the  charts  during  it's  perusal. 

For  hours  daily,  since  leaving  Singapore,  he 
had  done  this,  though  now  of  late  becoming 
restless  with  suppressed  emotion.  This  day, 
after  some  calculation,  and  the  taking  of  sights 
for  position,  he  called  the  skipper  to  him,  and 
in  the  manner  of  one  consumed  with  impatience, 
though  holding  it  in  check,  said,  "We  anchor 
tomorrow.  Hold  your  present  course,  the  next 
island  we  come  to  is  our  destination." 

The  skipper  without  answering  for  a  moment, 
leaned  over  to  look  at  the  chart,  but  with  a 


22  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

frown,  and  a  movement  so  quick  that  Blackton 
drew  back  in  surprise,  Markham  rolled  the 
chart. 

"You  agreed  to  let  me  lay  the  course  and 
figure  all  positions.  Do  you  remember?"  said 
Markham. 

The  skipper  nodded,  then,  after  a  momentary 
pause  said  angrily: 

"Well,  look  here,  Markham,  I  think  it's  about 
time  you  told  me  something  about  this  game. 
Insurance  is  all  right,  but  it  only  covers  the  boat. 
It  doesn't  cover  my  loss  of  time  waiting  to  have 
another  built.  I'm  not  going  to  have  the  Say- 
onara  piled  on  a  reef  in  these  God-forsaken 
waters." 

Steve  looked  aft  from  the  wheel  at  this,  his 
face  a  picture,  commenting  to  himself — "Well, 
I '11  be  damned." 

"Blackton,  I  covered  the  schooner  for  all 
they'd  put  on  her,  you  know  that,  also  you  forget 
that  I  know  these  waters.  You  agreed  to  sail  her 
on  my  reckoning.  The  terms  of  the  charter  are 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  23 

very  clear  on  that  point.  Further,  my  desire  to 
visit  this  island  is  of  concern  to  no  one  but  my- 
self. The  box  I  left  there  is  of  great — "  here 
Markham  hesitated,  then  rapidly  continued, 
"value  to  myself,  but  valueless  to  others.  I  have 
very  good  reasons  to  hide  the  identity  of  this 
island  until  such  time  as  I  recover  the  box  and 
restore  it's  contents  to  the  rightful  owner." 

"It's  just  as  I  thought"  was  Blackton's 
mental  comment,  "I'm  going  to  learn  a  little 
more  about  that  box."  His  face  lost  it's  look  of 
anger,  an  expression  of  disinterest  supplant- 
ing it, 

Markham  continued.  He  misread  Blackton's 
face. 

"Captain  Blackton,  my  advice  is  to  get  every 
knot  possible  out  of  the  Sayonara  before  ten 
tomorrow,  for  the  island  is  surrounded  by  a  reef 
of  coral,  and  passing  the  entrance  to  the  shelter 
of  the  bay  is  ticklish  business  in  a  blow.  Once 
inside  the  bay  or  lagoon  the  boat  will  be  safe  in 
any  ordinary  storm.  The  glass  has  been  acting 


24  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

queerly  for  two  weeks.  Tonight,  we  will  have 
weather,  if  I  be  any  judge." 

"It  was  that  that  worried  me  just  now/'  re- 
plied Blackton,  and  he  glanced  around  the  hori- 
zon, sniffing  as  he  did  so. 

"It  will  be  more  than  wind  I  think,"  said 
Markham. 

"I  was  thinking  too,"  resumed  Blackton  for 
he  glimpsed  Lois  under  the  after  awning  play- 
ing with  the  cat,  "that  a  storm  in  these  waters 
would  not  be  a  pleasant  experience  for  your 
daughter.  I  have  her  to  worry  about  as  well  as 
the  boat, — a  passenger  in  my  care." 

"Don't  worry  about  me,  Captain  Blackton, 
I'll  be  well  taken  care  of,"  called  Lois.  Black- 
ton  looked  at  her  in  surprise  at  being  heard, 
answering : 

"No  doubt  of  that,  Miss  Markham,"  and  he 
smiled.  It  was  a  smile  that  might  have  meant 

several  things. 

*     *     *     #     * 

Steve's  watch.    With  the  evening  breeze  came 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  25 

vague  whisperings.  The  reeflines  on  the  main- 
sail tapped  a  warning,  for  the  sky  ahead  and  on 
both  quarters  was  of  leaden  gray. 

Sitting  near  him,  hair  in  what  she  termed  a 
fright,  was  Lois  in  a  deck  chair.  Twice  she 
opened  her  lips  to  speak  to  him,  and  thought 
better  of  it.  Finally,  after  the  vessel  had  slowly 
righted  down  from  the  pressure  of  an  unusually 
stiff  gust,  she  leaned  forward  and  in  a  voice 
carefully  modulated  so  as  not  to  reach  the  skip- 
per further  down  the  deck,  said  " Steve,  I'm 
worried." 

"T 'won't  be  much  of  a  blow,  Miss  Markham," 
he  answered,  "We'll  just  catch  the  tail  end 
of  it." 

Her  tone  became  more  serious. 

"It  isn't  that  I  mean,  Steve,  it's  something 
else  I  don't  know  how  to  express."  She  paused, 
then  as  though  with  mind  decided,  "Steve,  have 
you  a  sister?" 

Steve  nearly  dropped  the  wheel. 


26  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 


''Yes,  Miss  Markham,  that  is —  I  had  one 


once. ' 


A  wistful  look  crept  into  his  face.  Noting  his 
expression,  her  intuition  telling  her  that  here 
was  something  very  wrong,  she  rose  and  went  to 
him,  laying  a  soft  hand  upon  his  arm. 

"I  didn't  mean  to  hurt  you,  Steve,  I'm  sorry. 
Tonight  when  you  are  off  watch,  I  want  to  tell 
you  something,  or  perhaps  ask  something  of  you. 
Will  you  help  me  if  I  need  you?" 

A  sixth  sense  told  Blackton  that  he  was  miss- 
ing something.  He  was  too  late  to  catch  the 
hand  upon  Steve's  arm,  but  he  caught  the  ap- 
parent friendship  in  their  manner,  and  that  the 
couple  had  something  in  common.  Lois  had 
never  evinced  the  slightest  desire  to  converse 
with  him,  and  he  was  somewhat  piqued  at  her 
aloofness,  biding  his  time,  however.  Just  at  this 
moment  it  was  apparent  to  him  that  Lois  was 
making  the  advances,  which  to  Blackton  meant 
only  one  thing, — personal  interest.  His  face 
suffused  with  anger,  mixed  with  covert  curiosity. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  21 

Steve,  he  deprecated,  for  to  him  Steve  typified 
bland  rusticity.  But  the  girl  I —  He  eyed  her  in 
callous  appraisal.  He  watched  them  in  silence, 
his  tongue  moistening  his  lower  lip  the  while. 

"I  sure  will  help  you  if  you  need  me,  Miss 
Markham,"  replied  Steve. 

Thanking  him  only  with  a  look,  Lois  turned 
to  go  below.  Blackton's  look  of  anger  turned  to 
one  of  covetousness  as  her  lithe  figure  passed 
him  by  the  transom.  He  watched  her  down  the 
steps,  then  glancing  around  the  deck  to  see  if 
Markham  were  near,  rose  and  strode  to  the 
wheel. 

"Well,  'Cupid',  is  the  love  affair  coming  on 
nicely?" 

Steve  turned  in  surprise  and  colored  to  the 
roots  of  his  hair.  He  was  startled  into  in- 
coherency. 

"Why,  I — .    What  do  you  mean  Captain?" 

Blackton  laughed  coarsely  then,  with  face 
hardening,  and  in  a  tone  of  not  to  be  thwarted 
assurance,  he  playfully  patted  Steve  upon  the 


28  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

arm  saying,  "Look  here,  Son,  as  a  Lothario, 
you're  a  wooden  Buddah,"  then  the  hand  tight- 
ened on  Steve's  arm,  "If  there's  any  love  mak- 
ing done  on  this  ketch,  I'm  going  to  be  the  one 
that  does  it,  understand?  Take  my  advice  and 
lay  off  the  lady,  don't  let  a  rank  amateur's  bung- 
ling disconcert  the  lady  when  there's  an  expert 
around. "  He  nudged  Steve  in  the  ribs  as  he  said 
it,  then  his  voice  roughened. 

"Remember  what  I've  said,  young  fellow,  I 
never  allow  anyone  working  for  me  to  mix  with 
the  passengers. "  Blackton  turned  away.  Steve 
turned  to  watch  him  go.  Had  Blackton  seen  the 
look  Steve  wore,  his  untroubled  air  would  have 
changed  to  vigilant  watchfulness. 

' '  Sooner  or  later,  there 's  bound  to  be  fireworks 
here,"  was  Steve's  comment  to  himself. 

With  the  exception  of  two  lascar  hands  whom 
he  had  called  to  shorten  sail,  Steve  had  the  deck 
to  himself  for  the  next  two  hours.  The  captain, 
whose  next  watch  it  was,  was  snoring  in  his  cabin 
unmindful  of  the  fallen  glass.  A  long  wall  of 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  29 

darkest  gray  crept  slowly  down  the  port  quarter, 
while  the  wind  now  whistling  through  the  rig- 
ging, heeled  the  Sayonara  at  an  uncomfortable 
angle. 

Steve,  however,  braced  himself  and  after  a 
critical  glance  aloft,  decided  that  she  could  carry 
the  spread  of  sail  that  he  had  left  her  and  fell 
to  wondering  what  strange  errand  he  was  on. 
"She  asked  me  if  I  had  a  sister,  I  wonder  if — ." 
These  transient  thoughts  of  Lois  were  driven 
from  him  by  the  exigencies  of  his  duty  which 
were  becoming  more  engrossing  as  the  moments 
sped. 

The  angry  crests  and  curling  billows  that  slid 
hissing  at  the  forefoot  of  the  schooner  lost  their 
violence.  The  wind  now  came  in  a  steady  blast, 
beating  flat  the  surface  of  the  water.  Blackton 
came  on  deck  twenty  minutes  late,  to  take  the 
wheel.  He  glanced  aloft  and  noted  the  trim  of 
the  rigging. 

"Good  work,  Steve.    You're  a  'puka'  sailor.'' 

Steve  smiled  a  knowing  smile  and  after  re- 


30  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

peating  the  course  walked  away.  As  be  entered 
the  cabin  Hell  broke  loose. 

Though  ready  for  the  blow,  the  Sayonara 
staggered  like  a  stricken  bird,  then,  with  the 
pride  of  a  hundred  just  such  battles  behind  her, 
lifted  her  foot  and  crushed  a  might}*  swell  be- 
neath it.  From  the  galley  came  the  crash  of  fall- 
ing tinware  and  invective  of  Ah  Wing. 

Came  the  rain,  not  the  pattering  of  the  tem- 
perate zones,  but  the  torrential  cloudburst  of  the 
tropics,  filling  the  scuppers  on  the  instant.  Had 
the  skipper  time  to  leave  the  wheel,  and  look 
down  the  waist  transom,  he  might  have  seen  in 
whispered  conversation  over  the  little  saloon 
table,  a  couple  talking  earnestly. 

As  he  put  his  weight  to  the  wheel  that  strug- 
gled against  him,  his  mind  visualized  the  con- 
tents of  the  box  and  into  the  picture  crept 
thoughts  of  Lois,  who  until  attained,  would  be 
lovely  beyond  words.  His  active  mind  became 
busy  in  planning  that  attainment. 

Steve  had  just  entered  the  saloon.    She  had 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  31 

been  awaiting  him.  Raising  a  cautioning  finger, 
and  indicating  the  door  of  her  father's  cabin, 
she  warned  him  to  talk  low.  When  he  was 
seated  opposite  her,  she  said,  "Steve,  I  have 
much  to  tell  you.  More  depends  upon  you  than 
you  know.  I  know  because  I  feel  it.  Something 
tells  me  that  you  will  be  able  to  see  us  through  it. 
You  told  me  that  you  do  not  know  what  island 
we  are  bound  for.  I  can  tell  you  that,  though 
Captain  Blackton  does  not  know.  I  shall,  also, 
tell  you  what  we  are  going  there  for."  Lois 
paused. 

"The  wreck  and  total  loss  of  the  ship  Bent- 
nida  is  the  cause  of  the  whole  thing,  possibly  you 
remember  hearing  of  it  years  ago.  I  don't,  for 
it  was  when  I  was  a  baby  almost  in  arms. 
Father  was  the  captain  of  the  Bentnida.  Some 
very,  very  valuable  papers  or  something,  I  don't 
really  know  the  exact  nature  of  the  thing,  were 
intrusted  to  father's  care.  He  was  to  bring  them 
to  America.  There  was  a  terrible  storm,  and  the 
vessel  struck  a  reef,  for  they  were  blown  far  out 


32  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

of  their  course.  Father  was  the  only  one  saved. 
He  was  thrown  ashore  on  an  island.  On  the 
island  there  lived  a  tribe  of  people  that,  though 
savages,  cared  for  father  and  tried  to  nurse 
him  back  to  health. 

After  several  months  with  these  people,  whom 
father  describes  as  the  most  stalwart  and  just 
natives  he  had  ever  seen,  he  regained  enough 
strength  to  build  himself  a  hut  apart  from  the 
native  village,  which  was  very  dirty  and  into 
this  he  moved  all  the  things  that  had  floated 
ashore,  and  been  taken  care  of  for  him  by  the 
natives.  It  seemed  that  years  before  some  mis- 
sionary had  befriended  the  tribe  during  a 
scourge  of  sickness  and  they  in  turn  befriended 
the  white  men  in  trouble. 

One  of  the  things  that  had  floated  ashore  was 
father's  sea  chest,  in  which  he  had  placed  the 
little  black  box  containing  the  things  intrusted 
to  him.  Whether  it  was  money,  bonds,  or  what, 
he  has  never  told  me,  but  it  was  a  great  joy  to 
him  when  he  found  the  box  still  intact. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  33 

) 

Things  went  on  uneventfully  for  some  time, 
when  a  pearling  lugger  put  ashore  for  water  and 
departed  again  without  father  seeing  it.  When 
the  natives  told  father  of  it,  he  had  been  on  the 
other  side  of  the  island  at  the  time  it  was  there, 
he  began  to  worry  and  brood  over  not  having 
seen  it,  for  he  could  have  gone  back  to  civiliza- 
tion on  it.  From  the  disconnected  things  he  has 
told  me  of  what  followed,  he  must  have  lost  his 
mind,  for  shortly  afterward  another  pearling 
vessel  stopped  and  they  found  father.  He  only 
dimly  remembers  rushing  out  into  the  surf  in  his 
eagerness  to  get  on  board.  They  took  him  to 
Thursday  Island  where,  after  a  time  in  the  hos- 
pital, he  was  sent  back  to  America. 

He  arrived  at  San  Francisco,  where  an  in- 
quiry was  started  and  father  was  exonerated  for 
losing  the  ship,  but  some  sharp  tongued  people, 
those  who  had  been  waiting  for  whatever  it  was 
that  father  had  been  intrusted  with,  started 
whispering  and  soon  father  heard  little  things 
dropped  that  hurt  him. 


34  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

The  little  that  he  had  saved  before  the  wreck 
was  enough  to  keep  us.  Mother  had  died  while 
he  was  on  the  island,  and  I  was  left  with  an  Aunt 
in  Oakland.  He  continually  worried  about  not 
being  able  to  repay  the  people  for  their  loss,  and 
when  Uncle  Ned  died  and  left  his  insurance  to 
me,  father  grew  more  morose  than  ever.  He  felt 
that  the  people  thought  that  he  had  stolen  their 
inheritance,  and  was  living  on  it. 

Then  one  time  I  overheard  a  conversation  in 
which  I  was  described  as  the  daughter  of  that 
'old  crook/  and  I  determined  to  change  things. 
I  went  home  and  asked  father  all  about  it,  and 
he  told  all.  I  told  him  he  must  go  back  to  the 
island  and  recover  the  treasure.  He  refused  at 
iirst,  because  he  did  not  want  to  touch  my  money, 
but  I  showed  him  where  my  happiness  depended 
upon  it.  and  he  finally  agreed.  The  expenses  of 
the  trip  would  take  nearly  half  of  the  money  left 
me.  Then  there  follpwed  several  months  of 
•search  in  all  the  out  of  the  way  corners  of  the 
pearling  waters  for  someone  that  remembered 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  35 

father's  arrival  on  Thursday  Island,  and  the 
boat  that  brought  him  there. 

It  was  when  we  had  nearly  given  up  hope  of 
ever  finding  where  the  island  was,  that  word 
came  from  the  old  diver  in  charge  of  the  lugger 
that  had  rescued  father.  He  sent  some  charts 
find  father  and  I  sailed  for  Singapore. 

That  is  all  there  is  to  that  part  of  it,  Steve. 
That  much  of  it  don't  worry  me.  What  does 
worry  me  is  Captain  Blackton." 

"Captain  Blackton!"  echoed  Steve.  "Why 
Captain  Blackton?  Has  he  been  bothering 
you?" 

"No,  Steve.  It  is  not  for  myself  that  I  am 
worried  but  for  father.  I  hated  the  Captain 
from  the  minute  I  first  saw  him,  and  he  follows 
me  everywhere  with  his  eyes,  but  I  am  not  afraid 
of  that.  This  afternoon  I  saw  him  coming  out 
of  father's  cabin.  I  was  on  deck  at  the  time, 
and  was  looking  down  this  transom."  Lois 
looked  up  at  the  transom  above  her  head  as  she 
said  this.  "I  thought  nothing  of  it  at  the  time, 


36  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

but  later  I  remembered  that  father  had  been 
sitting  on  the  back  end  of  the  boat  all  afternoon, 
in  fact  ever  since  tiffin,  In  order  to  be  sure 
about  it,  I  asked  father  if  he  had  been  in  his 
cabin  since  tiffin,  and  he  said  that  he  had  not,  so 
I  told  him  what  I  had  seen." 

"What  did  he  say?"  whispered  Steve. 

"He  seemed  startled  at  first,  but  after  think- 
ing it  over  for  a  moment,  he  put  his  arms  around 
me  and  said  that  I  was  all  fussed  up,  and  that 
the  Captain  was  probably  looking  for  him,  and 
then  finding  him  out  had  closed  the  door  of  the 
cabin,  and  left  the  saloon.  But  Steve, — the  Cap- 
tain came  right  on  deck  and  didn't  look  for  father 
at  all.  I  just  know  that  he  is  up  to  something." 

Steve  leaned  back  lost  in  thought.  "Well, 
Miss  Markham,  I  don't  know  what  is  in  the 
wind,  but  I  do  think  that  the  Captain  will  bear 
watching.  You  needn't  fear  anything  serious 
happening.  I'll  be  on  the  lookout  for  any  funny 
business,  and  I'll  be  handy  if  you  need  me." 

"Thank  you,  Steve,  I  will  count  on  you." 


THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE  37 

There  was  a  new  note  in  her  voice.  Steve 
looked  full  into  her  eyes.  There  was  a  quality 
there  that  awakened  something  that  he  had 
thought  dead  within  him.  He  paused,  groping 
for  words  with  which  to  express  what  was  in  his 
heart. 

"Miss  Markham,  this  afternoon  you  asked  me 
if  I  had  a  sister.  I  said  'Yes/  that  I  had  had  one 
once.  I  want  to  tell  you  of  her."  He  pronounced 
the  word  "her"  so  softly  that  it  became  reverent. 

"She  was  the  dearest  girl  in  all  the  world  and 
after  mother 's  death  she  and  I  became  insepar- 
able. I  left  the  sea  when  mother  died,  intending 
to  settle  down  ashore  and  look  after  Sis,  and 
then  some  old  friends  of  the  family  got  me  into 
the  wholesale  rubber  business.  The  firm  I  was 
with  sent  me  on  a  trip  to  the  Federated  Malay 
States  to  look  after  some  of  their  interests.  I 
went  and  stayed  upon  their  request  to  straighten 
out  a  tangle  that  a  former  manager  had  left.  I 
saw  that  I  would  be  there  for  some  time,  so  I 
cabled  Sis  to  come  and  spend  the  year  out  with 


38  THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE 

me.  I  thought  it  would  be  a  nice  chance  for 
to  see  the  world.  She  cabled  me  of  leaving 
Frisco,  and  also  of  her  arrival  at  Singapore 
The  boats  were  pretty  well  filled  up  with  war 
biisiness,  and  her  wire  from  Singapore  said 
that  she  had  engaged  passage  upon  a  coast- 
ing schooner  for  Penang,  where  I  was  to 
meet  her.  That  schooner  never  reached  Pen- 
ang. I  was  terribly  worried  when  it  didn't 
show  up.  I  made  allowance  for  rough  weather 
and  waited  two  weeks.  In  those  two  weeks  I 
nearly  went  insane.  Then  I  went  to  Singapore. 
I  haunted  the  water  front  making  inquiries,  but 
could  find  no  trace  of  her.  One  day  while  sitting 
in  the  Raffles  lobby,  a  boy  brought  in  the  paper 
and  I  read  this,"  fumbling  in  an  inner  pocket  he 
brought  out  a  small  bill  fold,  from  this  he  took 
a  short  newspaper  clipping,  which  he  handed  to 
Lois.  Taking  it  from  his  trembling  hand,  she 
read:  Batavia  Spl. 

SUICIDE  IN  BATAVIA  HOTEL 
Miss  Gloria  Maitland  found  dead  by 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  39 

self  inflicted  gunshot.     Police  investi- 
gating mysterious  aspects  of  case.    De- 
ceased    left     unaddressed     letter     to 
brother.    Holding  body  for  identifica- 
tion.   Straits  papers  please  copy. 
Gloria  Maitland!     Lois  let  fall  the    slip    of 
paper.    Steve's  hand  closed  over  it.    Before  her 
startled  mind  there  flashed  the  vision  of  the  fly- 
leaf of  the  book  she  had  read.    The  book  which 
at  that  very  moment  was  lying  upon  her  trunk 
in  her  cabin.     The  truth  engulfed  her  leaving 
her  for  the  moment  speechless  in  a  chaos  of  emo- 
tions.   Blackton  was  the  man.    It  was  he  whom 
Steve  wanted  to  meet  of  all  men.    Through  her 
mind  there  raced  with  lightning  speed  the  con- 
sequences should  she  tell  him  what  she  knew. 
Her  judgment  told  her  that  here,  Blackton  was 
the  master.    It  told  her  that  her  father's  mission 
was  to  be  considered  and  there  came  fear  with 
the  thought  that  Steve  might  be  injured  in  a 
fight    with    Blackton    and    the    thought    was 
strangely  disquieting.     She  clasped  her  hands. 


40  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

arms  resting  upon  the  table  and  closed  her  eyes 
in  an  agony  of  indecision.  Came  the  picture  of 
what  must  have  happened  right  on  this  very 
boat,  the  picture  of  Steve,  bareheaded  beside  the 
open  grave  in  Batavia,  and  the  memory  of  the 
Rosary  played  with  unearthly  sweetness  that 
first  night  of  the  voyage. 

Rising,  her  eyes  filling,  she  slowly  walked 
around  the  table  to  his  side,  laying  her  hand 
upon  his  shoulder.  A  long  moment  passed  in 
silence  save  for  the  drumming  of  the  rain  on  the 
deck  above. 

"That  afternoon  I  caught  a  steamer  for 
Java,"  continued  Steve,  "and  reported  to  the 
police  immediately  on  landing  at  Batavia.  They 
took  me  in  the  office  and  handed  me  the  letter. 
The  moment  I  unfolded  it,  I  knew  it  was  no  mis- 
take, for  it  was  in  her  handwriting.  They  kept 
the  note,  but  it  told  me  what  had  made  her  do  it. 

The skipper  of  that  boat  had  ruined 

her.  She  fought  him  like  a  fury,  but  what 
chance  had  she,  a  girl?" 


TEE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  41 

Lois  passed  the  oath  unnoticed.  It  was  a  plain 
statement  of  fact  and  so  was  not  profane.  With 
tears  falling,  her  hand  stole  up  and  rested  on 
Steve's  hair  above  his  ear.  " Steve — Steve"  was 
all  that  she  said. 

"I  went  back  to  Singapore,"  continued  Steve, 
"to  keep  my  promise  that  I  made  her  when  the 
clods  fell  on  her  coffin —  Miss  Markham,  I'm 
looking  for  that  man,  and  when  I  find  him — ." 
The  brown  hands  slowly  closed. 

"Some  day  you  will  kill  him"  whispered  Lois. 
***** 

"Dilapan  poloh,"  the  singsong  call  of  the  man 
at  the  lead,  broke  the  silence  with  the  welcome 
news  that  there  were  twenty-eight  fathoms  of 
water  beneath  the  keel  of  the  Sayonara.  His 
sinuous  arms  swung  the  twenty-five  pound  lead 
for  another  sounding.  A  mile  ahead  was  the 
island.  Between  the  Sayonara  and  it's  shores, 
there  was  a  long  line  of  breaking  water.  This 
was  the  reef.  Within  it  lay  a  quiet  lagoon  of 
crystal  sapphire. 


42  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

Slowly  working  the  schooner  toward  it,  chary 
of  hidden  sharptoothed  reefs,  the  skipper  stood 
glass  in  hand,  while  Steve  was  forward  with  the 
anchor  gear. 

Markham,  with  Lois  close  beside  him,  leaned 
upon  the  rail,  tortured  with  impatience.  The  air 
was  potent  with  suppressed  feeling,  the  silence 
broken  only  by  the  monotonous  chant  of  the 
leadsman.  Thus  the  next  half  hour  passed  until, 
when  near  the  narrow  entrance,  the  lascars 
dropped  the  dinghy  and  towed  her  through  the 
opening  in  the  reef.  Steve  dropped  the  anchor 
in  the  middle  of  the  lagoon.  He  watched  it  till 
it  struck  the  snow  white  bottom.  Circling  round 
the  chain  there  passed  a  shadow. 

Fringing  the  dazzling  beach,  the  silent  cocoa- 
nuts  nodded  their  heads  in  somnolent  apathy. 
Beneath  them,  hidden  in  the  deep  shade  of  the 
ferns  were  two  peering  eyes.  The  hoarse  rumble 
of  the  anchor  chains  shattering  the  tranquil 
stillness  wakened  into  life  the  dozing  denizens 
of  the  jungle.  Far  back  from  the  edge  of  the 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  43 

simmering  beach,  beat  the  torn  toms  of  the  island 
people.  It  was  the  time  of  the  yearly  offering, 
the  nuptial  ceremony  of  Hui,  the  spirit  father  of 
the  people. 

Kalom  parted  the  giant  fern  fronds  the  better 
to  see  the  Sayonara  as  she  gently  swung  to  the 
lowering  breeze  that  made  her  tug  gently  at  her 
anchor.  This  was  a  different  ship  than  the  ones 
that  customarily  touched  for  water.  The  boats 
he  knew  were  pearling  luggers,  and  the  men  on 
them  he  had  found  by  sad  experience  were  best 
let  alone. 

Kalom,  before  being  startled  by  the  rasping 
of  the  chain,  had  been  brooding.  Atel,  the  flower 
of  the  tribe,  chosen  by  acclaim,  was  dressed  in 
nuptial  garlands.  She  was  to  become  the  bride 
of  Hui,  the  spirit  God  of  the  island  people.  For 
a  year  was  she  to  remain  apart,  unseen  by  man- 
kind, in  the  deep  recesses  of  the  labyrinth  of  the 
Dead.  They  had  parted  the  night  before,  and 
Kalom  with  sorrowing  heart,  had  spent  the  night 
alone  in  miserable  foreboding.  Seldom  did  the 


44  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

wives  of  Hui  return  to  the  kampong  with  the 
bloom  of  their  youthful  beauty.  The  sweltering 
air  of  the  abode  of  Hui  made  them  old  before 
their  time.  Now  the  torn  toms  were  beating  in 
the  council  clearing  before  the  cavern  entrance, 
where  the  rumble  of  Hui's  impatience  made  the 
people  tremble  lest  he  be  displeased. 

In  the  center  of  the  hollow  mountain  where 
the  rose  colored  fires  were  tossing  in  their  an- 
nual turbulence,  stood  the  carven  image  of  the 
God.  Atel,  his  golden  skinned  Atel,  whose  cheeks 
glowed  with  the  warmth  of  the  crimson  hibiscus, 
was  soon  to  pass  from  his  hungry  arms  to  live 
amid  the  fires.  The  thought  sickened  him.  Then 
had  come  the  schooner.  It  was  a  further  dark- 
ening of  his  sky.  Had  not  the  last  white  man 
who  had  come  brought  sickness  upon  them.  His 
people  must  be  warned.  He  must  fly  to  them  and 
warn  them  of  the  coming. 

He  gazed  with  narrowed  lids  across  the  swel- 
tering beach  where  the  heat  devils  danced  madly 
up  and  down.  The  white  men  on  the  schooner 


45 


were  getting  into  a  small  boat.  They  were  com- 
ing ashore.  With  the  silent  stealth  of  the  jungle 
born,  Kalom  gently  let  the  ferns  swing  back  to 
their  places  and  noiselessly  threaded  his  way  to 
the  thickets.  When  in  their  friendly  cover  he 
ran  to  the  council  clearing.  The  ceremony  was 
just  beginning  and  the  chant  of  the  sacred  offer- 
ing, swelling  in  melancholy  cadence,  died  in  soft- 
ening diminuendo  as  he  burst  from  the  green 
wall  of  the  undergrowth.  Maktil,  the  venerable 
servant  of  Hui.  turned  from  his  place  before  the 
cavern  entrance  and  with  lowered  arms,  de- 
manded to  know  the  reason  of  the  sacrilegious 
interruption.  He  noted  it  was  Kalom  who  had 
burst  upon  them.  Kalom  the  lover  of  Atel! 
Kalom  opened  his  lips  to  speak,  but  Maktil,  his 
face  terrible  with  wrath,  bade  him  be  silent. 
This  was  no  time  for  earthly  love  to  claim  it's 
own.  It  was  the  hour  of  the  offering. 

From  the  dark  recesses  of  the  vaulted  cham- 
bers of  the  cavern  came  a  grumbling  roar.  Hui 
ever  thus,  voiced  his  displeasure  for  he  was  the 


46  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

God  of  the  Fires.  The  people  threw  themselves 
in  prostrate  trembling  upon  their  faces.  It  was 
Maktil,  who  saved  them  from  the  wrath  of  Hui. 
Turning  to  the  now  smoking  opening,  he  threw 
his  hands  aloft  and  in  wild  vehemence,  plead 
that  Hui  forgive  the  sin  of  Kalorn.  The  roar 
slowly  subsided,  and  the  people  breathed  again. 
Petrified  with  fear,  Kalom  kept  his  eyes  upon 
Maktil.  never  daring  to  look  at  Atel,  who  stood 
within  the  high  arched  entrance,  radiant  with 
the  full  bloom  of  her  voluptuous  beauty.  In  her 
hair  glowed  the  red  hibiscus,  vieing  with  her 
cheeks  to  rival  the  glow  of  her  golden  body. 
From  her  shoulder  tentatively  hiding  the  full 
breast,  drooped  a  single  garland  of  the  mauve 
moonflower.  A  golden  Venus  that  stood  motion- 
less before  the  rose  reflection  of  the  eternal  fires 
that  burned  at  the  carven  feet  of  the  idol  in  the 
inner  cavern. 

When  the  dinghy  had  drawn  alongside,  Lois 
went  below  for  her  sun  hat.  Markham  was  al- 
ready overside,  when  she  returned  on  deck. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  47 

Turning  to  talk  to  Blackton,  who  stood  at  the 
rail,  he  said,  "I  think  I  can  go  directly  to  the 
place,  Captain.  If  so,  I  will  return  immediately, 
and  we  can  get  away  with  the  next  tide." 

To  Lois  he  said  " Hurry,  child,  can't  you  see 
that  I  am  waiting?"  Lois  smiled  at  his  im- 
patience. 

"I  brought  some  water,  Daddy,"  this,  as  she 
swung  the  nickeled  bottle  to  him  to  catch.  Lois 
was  always  practical  and  Markham  smiled  in 
turn. 

"Send  the  boat  back  to  the  ship"  said  Black- 
ton  as  the  lascars  pulled  away.  I'll  send  the 
boys  ashore  for  fresh  water  for  the  schooner." 

"All  right,"  answered  Markham. 

Blackton  watched  them  land  and  disappear 
in  the  green  shadows  of  the  jungle.  His  eyes 
wandered  to  the  cliffs  that  overhung  the  sea  fur- 
ther down  the  beach.  Over  these  there  wheeled 
in  planing  flight,  the  giant  fish-hawk  of  the 
island  dotted  seas.  As  Blackton  watched,  the 
hawk  poised  momentarily,  then,  dropping  like  a 


48  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

plummet,  disappeared  in  an  eruption  of  glisten- 
ing spray  only  to  rise  a  moment  later,  a  gleam- 
ing silver  something  in  his  talons. 

"That's  the  way  to  do  it,"  murmured  Black- 
ton,  "Grab, ..when  they're  not  expecting  it.  I'll 
let  him  find  the  box,  and  then — well,  thank  you 
4Burong  ikan'  (fish  bird)  for  the  tip,  I'll  play 
it,  and  right  soon  too,  if  the  old  man  finds  the 
treasure." 

The  return  of  the  dinghy  interrupted  further 
cogitation,  and  Blackton  swung  down  into  it, 
telling  the  boys  to  hasten  to  the  shore.  Steve 
watched  him  go  over  a  thoughtful  pipe. 

Telling  the  lascars  to  remain  at  the  waterline, 
with  the  dinghy,  Blackton  strode  into  the  tall 
tapa  grass  that  grew  along  shore,  his  thoughts 
busy  with  Markham's  evident  desire  to  keep  the 
nature  of  the  contents  of  the  black  box  from  him. 
He  was  following  the  broad  trail  of  trampled 
grass  where  Markham  and  Lois  had  passed, 
when  he  heard,  bourne  to  him  down  the  breeze, 
the  beat  of  the  torn  toms.  He  stopped.  The 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  49 

sound  came  from  the  jungle  ahead,  but  a  little  to 
his  right.  Markham  and  Lois  had  turned  to  the 
left  at  a  point  a  little  farther  on.  He  could  hear 
the  chant  of  the  people  rising  now  to  wailing 
crescendo,  then  fading  away  to  a  soft  murmur, 
as  Maktil  went  on  with  his  prayer  to  Hui. 
Blackton  was  filled  with  curiosity.  Familiar  as 
he  was  with  the  natives  of  the  Indies,  he  had 
never  heard  the  same  melancholy  chant  before. 
Making  his  way  with  the  stealth  of  a  fox,  he 
hastened  toward  the  sounds. 

He  soon  came  to  the  edge  of  the  jungle  clear- 
ing. Atel  stood  in  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  a 
golden  Venus.  On  the  ground  about  the  opening 
were  the  people  of  Hui,  their  bodies  swaying 
slowly  to  the  rhythm  of  the  chant.  His  jaw 
dropped  in  wonder.  Never  had  he  seen  so  beau- 
tiful a  woman.  His  quick  eye  surveyed  her — 
her  great  mass  of  jet  hair,  the  crimson  cheeks, 
the  full  red  lips  that  were  tremulous  with  excite- 
ment, the  full  rounded  bosoms  that  melted  into 
the  tapering  waist,  the  curve  of  the  hips,  the 


50  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

molding  of  the  limbs,  the  voluptuous  appeal  of 
her  enthralled  him.  She  was  a  living  statue, 
still,  gorgeous,  glowing  warm. 

Blackton  forgot  Markham  and  the  black  box. 

As  he  gazed,  Maktil  bade  the  drummers  beat 
to  quickened  time,  the  nose  flutes  with  soft 
melody  took  up  the  tune.  It  was  the  sensuous 
betrothal  dance.  Slowly,  with  sinuous  undula- 
tions of  the  hips  and  body,  Atel  began  to  dance. 
Her  graceful  arms  embraced  the  fancied  form 
of  her  spirit  lover,  her  eyes  lighted  with  the 
ecstacy  of  her  passionate  exhalation.  As  the 
drums  beat  faster,  Atel,  with  quickening  steps 
danced  with  wild  abandon,  and  the  tameless 
longing  she  expressed ." 

"God,  what  a  woman!"  Blackton 's  groping 
hand  tore  at  the  neckband  of  his  shirt.  He  took 
a  step  forward,  then  remembering  the  natives,  he 
watched  the  ending  of  the  dance.  Exhausted 
with  frenzied  effort,  Atel  sank  to  the  ground,  a 
thing  of  palpitating  allurement.  Two  old  women 
rose  from  the  shadows  of  the  cavern  and  went  to 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  51 

her.  Assisting  her  to  her  feet,  they  slowly  led 
her  inward.  As  the  trio  passed  from  their  sight, 
the  people  knelt,  their  foreheads  to  the  ground. 
From  within  came  the  voice  of  Hui.  It  was  a 
low  melodious  rumble  of  welcome,  welcome  to  the 
bride. 

When  Atel  was  lost  in  the  rose  murk  of  the 
cavern,  Blackton  straightened  up.  He  realized 
that  he  must  not  be  seen.  He  had  noted  that 
Maktil  in  queer  Malay  had  consecrated  Atel  the 
virgin,  to  the  arms  of  Hui.  He  had  understood 
enough  of  the  bizarre  ceremony  to  know  that 
Atel  was  to  be  left  alone  within  the  hollow  moun- 
tain. He  knew  that  the  men  of  the  tribe  would 
never  violate  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  abode  of 
Hui.  This  thought  gave  him  comfort.  Atel 
would  receive  her  lord.  He  would  be  the  husband 
of  the  Flower  of  the  tribe.  He  would  wait  until 
the  people  left  the  place,  wait  until  the  women 
left  her.  Then  with  the  coming  of  the  night,  he 
would  visit  the  sacred  chamber.  With  the  silent 
stealth  of  a  tiger,  he  shrank  into  the  olive  silence 


52  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

of  the  jungle.    He  regained  the  beach  unseen. 

Lois  sat  upon  a  fallen  trunk.  Her  father 
paced  a  tiny  clear  space  in  the  thicket  beside  the 
fallen  tapang  tree.  Dimly,  like  an  apparition, 
seen  and  gone,  this  spot  came  to  him  as  the  site 
of  the  little  shack  he  had  lived  in  while  he  had 
lived  upon  the  island.  The  thick  growing 
verdure  had  clothed  what  had  once  been  his 
clearing  with  so  thick  a  mantle  that  no  vestige 
of  the  old  shack  was  left.  The  sun  was  nearing 
it's  way  to  the  western  horizon,  when  Markham 
gave  up  his  search  for  the  cabin  in  which  he  had 
left  his  sea  chest.  It  was  in  this  chest  that  he 
had  left  the  black  box  which  he  had  come  to 
find.  Lois  comforted  him  with  assurances  that 
it  would  be  only  a  day  or  two  until  his  memory 
would  return.  To  this,  he  only  shook  his  head, 
and  gravely  pointed  at  the  sky  in  the  northeast. 
In  that  quarter  it  was  a  dull  slate  color,  and  the 
sea  was  ominously  calm. 

"This  is  just  the  time  of  the  year  that  I  lost 
my  ship/'  he  said,  "The  typhoons  sweep  down 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  53 

here  from  the  north  and  wreck  everything  in 
their  paths." 

"Is  that  a  typhoon,  Daddy,"  asked  Lois, 
pointing  to  the  blue  gray  sky  in  the  northeast. 

"It  looks  like  wind  to  me,"  he  answered. 
"Come,  child,  we  must  return  to  the  schooner  be- 
fore we  get  wet.  There's  bound  to  be  rain  with 
it  or  close  behind." 

They  walked  at  quickened  pace  toward  the 
beach.  They  had  nearly  cleared  the  last  thicket 
that  screened  the  Sayonara  from  them,  when 
Markham  sprang  from  Lois'  side,  and  with  a 
scream  of  exultation,  leaped  into  a  mass  of 
tangled  creepers  that  overgrew  a  small  mound  of 
something.  As  he  pulled  away  the  vines,  the 
thing  came  into  Lois'  view.  It  was  the  shack 
her  father  sought. 

The  walls  were  lying  piled  upon  the  roof, 
which  lay  flat  upon  the  ground,  and  piled  upon 
the  whole  were  great  boulders.  These  Markham 
shook  his  head  over.  It  was  as  if  someone  had 
placed  them  there  to  protect  and  prevent  removal 


54  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

of  what  lay  beneath  them.  Then  he  remembered 
having  seen  the  natives  pile  stones  upon  the  dis- 
mantled homes  of  those  who  had  died  or  gone  in 
voluntary  sacrifice  to  the  Cave  of  the  Flames. 

Markham  tried  to  remove  the  smaller  of  these, 
but  was  not  equal  to  the  task.  Lois  watched  him 
for  a  moment  and  said,  "You  will  only  tire  your- 
self out,  Daddy,  let  me  go  to  the  schooner  and  get 
help." 

Markham  frowned  at  this,  but  Lois  had  her 
way.  Her  father  set  about  pulling  away  the  re- 
maining growth  while  she  hastened  to  the 
schooner.  The  dinghy  was  just  returning  to  the 
beach,  for  Blackton  had  just  gone  aboard.  As 
it's  blunt  nose  bit  into  the  soft  coral  sand,  Lois 
jumped  in  and  telling  the  lascars  to  hurry  to  the 
schooner,  she  settled  herself  on  the  narrow  plank 
that  served  for  both  a  brace  and  a  seat  in  it's 
bow. 

Steve  assisted  her  aboard,  asking  at  the  same 
time  of  her  father. 

"He  has  found  the  shack,"  she  told  him,  "and 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  55 

I  must  get  help  for  him.  There  are  great  rocks 
piled  all  over  it.  The  walls  were  made  of  bam- 
boo lattice,  and  father  cannot  pull  them  out  of 
the  way  to  get  at  his  sea  chest,  which  was  buried 
underneath  the  corner  where  he  slept.  He  wants 
enough  men  to  clear  away  the  shack  before  the 


rain  comes.' 


Steve  nodded.  "I  must  ask  the  Captain,  Miss 
Lois,  for  with  that  wind  in  the  northeast,  I  don't 
dare  to  leave  the  schooner  shorthanded  without 
permission." 

"Blackton  caught  the  last  words  Steve  uttered 
as  he  rounded  the  corner  of  the  deckhouse.  "No, 
Cupid,  I  wouldn't  either,  if  I  werg  you.  You'd 
better  get  everything  made  fast  right  now  if  you 
value  your  ticket.  Get  a  move  on  you !  Give  her 
fifty  fathoms  of  chain  so  that  the  hook  don't 
drag,  and  square  off  the  yards  on  the  fo'mast." 

As  Steve  turned  to  carry  out  the  orders, 
Blackton  turned  to  Lois,  "What  was  it,  Lois  I" 
he  asked. 

Lois  looked  up  in  stunned  surprise.    Blackton 


56  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

smiled  indulgently.  What  Lois  read  in  those 
smiling  eyes  made  her  sick  with  fear.  Blackton 
grasped  what  was  in  her  mind,  and  changed  his 
tactics.  * '  Take  it  slow  with  this  one, ' '  he  warned 
himself  mentally,  and,  with  studied  politeness 
said,  "I'm  sorry  I  said  that,  Miss  Markham,  I 
was  just  trying  to  be  funny.  Now  what  were 
you  telling  Steve  just  now?" 

Lois  hesitated  a  moment,  then  recovering  her 
poise  told  him  of  the  finding  of  the  ruined  shack 
and  of  her  father's  need  of  help.  Blackton,  with 
well  simulated  indifference  told  her  that  he 
would  send  help  immediately  and  that,  as  it 
would  rain  shortly,  she  had  better  go  below  and 
get  her  oiled  silk  coat,  though  he  advised  her 
against  returning  to  her  father. 

Lois  thought  a  moment,  then  said,  "I'll  return 
immediately  with  my  coat,  Captain  Blackton,  I 
must  be  with  father  when  he  finds  the  box." 

She  turned  from  him  and  hastened  below.  As 
she  disappeared  through  the  doorway,  Blackton 
blew  his  whistle,  and  three  of  the  lascars  came 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  57 

to  him  running.  "Get  a  pick  and  shovel,"  he 
ordered  one  of  them.  The  others  he  ordered  into 
the  dinghy  to  man  the  oars,  and  followed  them 
over  the  rail.  The  lascar  sent  after  the  tools  had 
just  returned  and  was  placing  them  in  the  small 
boat  when  Lois  came  on  deck.  Blackton  an- 
swered her  look  of  inquiry,  as  to  where  she  would 
sit  with  "I'll  send  the  dinghy  back  for  you  Miss 
Markham.  There  will  not  be  room  in  her  for 
you  this  trip."  With  this  Blackton  nodded  to 
the  boys  and  they  pulled  away  shoreward.  Lois 
stamped  her  foot  petulantly. 

4  *  Send  them  back  immediately,  Captain  Black- 
ton,  I  do  not  wish  to  wait!"  she  called. 

"You'll  wait  till  I  get  good  and  ready,  Lois," 
murmured  Blackton  smilingly,  but  Lois  only 
saw  the  nodded  "Yes." 

She  watched  the  dinghy  wallow  through  the 
easy  surf,  and  also  watched  with  rising  anger 
the  men  pull  the  boat  upon  the  dry  sand,  away 
from  the  water's  edge.  Then  they  shouldered 
the  tools  and  strode  after  Blackton  along  the 


58  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

broad  trail  that  Lois  and  her  father  had  made. 
As  they  melted  into  the  gloom  of  the  darkening 
jungle,  she  sat  down  in  a  deck  chair,  consumed 
with  anger. 

Twenty  minutes  passed  in  silence.  Steve  was 
busy  with  the  anchor  gear  in  the  bow.  Faintly 
bourne  to  the  schooner  from  the  distant  native 
kampong  came  the  low  murmur  of  the  council 
drum,  sonorous,  sustained,  measured. 

Blackton  walked  far  enough  into  the  screen 
of  palms  to  be  hidden  from  view  of  those  on  the 
schooner,  before  he  paused  in  his  walk  to  where 
Markham  was  impatiently  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  help.  There  were  three  of  the  lascars  with 
him.  Two  of  these  he  sent  ahead,  telling  the 
one  who  carried  the  tools  to  wait  a  moment. 
When  the  others  had  passed  beyond  hearing  he 
turned  again  to  the  third  saying,  "Ali,  I  want  the 
box  the  old  man  is  digging  for.  The  old  man  is 
better  off  dead.  You  savvy  ?  When  I  shake  my 
head,  you  fix  him  quick,  one  time  job,  savvy?" 
Then  lapsing  into  Malay  "Sudah  mati  lekas. 


THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE  59 

sahya  buleh  kasi  ampat  poloh  ringgit."  (If  you 
kill  quickly  I  will  give  you  forty  dollars). 

Ali  was  distinctly  ready  to  make  forty  dollars, 
but  his  crafty  soul  told  him  that  the  job  was 
worth  more.  He  hesitated  just  the  proper  in- 
terval to  make  Blackton  raise  the  offer.  Black- 
ton  scowled  darkly,  mentally  planning  that  the 
money  should  never  be  paid,  and  raised  the  offer 
by  ten  dollars. 

"Sudah"  (it  is  well)  was  Ali's  comment.  He 
would  do  Blackton 's  bidding. 

Together  they  resumed  the  walk  to  find  upon 
arrival  at  the  ruined  shack,  the  two  lascars 
busily  engaged  in  clearing  away  the  twisted 
framework. 

In  his  eagerness  to  get  at  the  chest,  Markham 
forgot  his  former  reticence,  and  enthusiastically 
described  how  he  had  left  it  buried.  He  told 
Blackton  how  the  natives  had  cared  for  him,  and 
that  they  never  harmed  a  stranger,  for  their  code 
was  one  of  strict  justice  to  all,  although  when 
wronged  they  exacted  an  eye  for  an  eye.  It  was 


60 


the  old  Mosaic  law  handed  down  from  some  early 
Malay  trader  who  had  visited  the  place  a  cen- 
tury before.  Blackton  listened,  but  his  thoughts 
were  on  something  else.  He  could  hear  the  torn 
toms  beating  in  the  distance.  The  sound  re- 
minded him  of  the  golden  vision  he  had  seen  a 
few  hours  before.  The  work  in  hand  must  be 
finished  quickly,  he  told  himself,  he  must  pay 
Atel  his  respects  that  very  evening. 

The  remnants  of  the  shack  were  cleared  easily 
after  the  boulders  had  been  rolled  away,  and 
Markham  pointed  out  the  spot  where  the  chest 
was  buried  to  one  of  the  lascars,  telling  him  to 
take  the  shovel  and  dig  it  out. 

After  a  questioning  look  at  Blackton,  who 
nodded  his  assent,  the  lascar  fell  to  digging,  soon 
uncovering  the  chest.  When  it  was  clear  of  the 
clinging  mold  that  enveloped  it,  Markham  could 
restrain  himself  no  longer.  He  brushed  the  man 
aside  and  knelt  beside  the  shallow  hole,  grasping 
the  chest  to  lift  it  out.  It  was  as  Blackton  had 
planned.  With  a  nod  to  Ali  which  was  unseen 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  61 

by  the  others,  he  ordered  Markham's  death, 
drawing  his  pistol  as  Ali  leaped  toward  Mark- 
ham  with  the  pick  up-raised.  There  was  a  tear- 
ing crunch  as  the  sharp  point  cleaved  the  skull. 
With  Ali's  act,  Blackton  sprung  into  action.  He 
raised  the  pistol,  and  as  Ali  turned  to  him  smil- 
ing, he  leveled  it  without  haste,  and  shot  him 
through  the  heart. 

Ali  died  gurgling  the  curse  of  "Bukan"  upon 
Blackton.  The  two  lascars  turned  in  fright,  and 
running  as  though  a  thousand  devils  chased  them, 
made  for  the  shore  and  the  waiting  dinghy. 

At  the  shot,  which  echoed  sharply  in  the  tran- 
quil air,  Lois  leaped  to  her  feet.  The  figures  of 
the  lascars  running  burst  upon  her  startled  gaze. 
Then,  after  what  seemed  hours  to  Lois,  frozen 
with  fear  at  the  rail,  there  stepped  from  the 
screening  jungle  a  figure  with  a  black  box  under 
its  arm.  In  the  deepening  dusk,  she  had  some 
difficulty  in  discerning  who  it  was.  Reaching 
for  her  glasses,  which  dangled  by  their  straps 
from  a  thole  pin  by  the  stays,  she  leveled  them  to 


62  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

look.  After  some  little  difficulty  in  adjusting 
them,  she  gave  one  searching  glance  and  with  a 
little  moan  like  a  spent  deer,  sank  to  the  deck  in 
a  heap.  The  figure  she  saw  was  Blackton,  and 
his  possession  of  the  box  told  her  the  story. 

Steve  raised  Lois  tenderly,  and  laid  her  on 
the  deck  chair,  while  he  went  for  water.  The 
lascars  had  reached  the  boat  and  were  on  their 
way  to  the  ship.  Blackton  blew  his  whistle,  and 
they,  after  a  frightened  glance  at  him,  then  to 
the  schooner,  hove  to,  and  awaited  his  coming. 
Steve  had  just  brought  Lois  to  her  senses  when 
he  clambered  overside.  He  walked  up  to  the 
chair  she  lay  in.  Raising  instantly  upon  seeing 
him,  she  said,  "Where  is  father?" 

"Miss  Markham,"  he  answered,  "I'm  sorry,  I 
have  terrible  news  for  you.  One  of  the  lascars 
attacked  your  father,  and  tried  to  steal  the  box. 
I  arrived  just  in  time  to  see  your  father  fall  for 
I  had  gone  a  slight  distance  away  to  watch  some 
natives.  I  arrived  too  late  to  save  him.  I  shot 
the  lascar  and  will  take  the  rest  in  hand  to  see 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  63 

just  bow  far  this  plot  ran.  Here  is  the  box,  Miss 
Markham,  it  is  your  property  now." 

Lois  did  not  hear  the  last  he  said  for  she  had 
fainted.  Steve's  face  augured  ill  for  someone. 
The  lascars  made  the  dinghy  fast  alongside  and 
sulked  aft. 

"We'll  get  out  of  here  tomorrow  with  the  late 
tide  Steve,  so  get  a  move  on  you,  round  up  those 
d—  skunks  and  see  that  the  old  man  is 
buried." 

"Hadn't  we  better  have  a  proper  burial  for 
Mr.  Markham,  sir,"  said  Steve,  "Miss  Markham 
would  feel  much  better  for  it." 

"No,  she  wouldn't,  his  head  isn't  pretty  to 
look  at  after  the  way  AH  used  that  pick.  Off 
with  you  now  before  she  comes  to,  or  we'll  have 
a  scene." 

"Shall  I  carry  her  below  then?" 

"No,  I'll  take  care  of  her,  you  get  along." 

Loathe  to  go,  but  anxious  to  learn  more  of  the 
meaning  of  the  tragedy  before  committing  him- 
self to  any  rash  action,  Steve  summoned  the  las- 


64  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

cars  and  after  receiving  instructions  from  Black- 
ton  to  send  the  dinghy  back  for  him,  was  pulled 
ashore. 

When  he  was  safely  gone,  Blackton  turned  to 
Lois,  commenting  to  himself  as  he  did  so.  "Now, 
my  little  lady,  we'll  put  you  where  you  can  have 
your  little  cry  without  disturbing  anybody." 
Picking  her  up,  he  carried  her  to  her  cabin,  and 
laid  her  in  the  berth.  After  a  moment's  ap- 
praisal of  her  condition  he  shut  the  door,  and 
went  on  deck.  Going  instantly  to  the  black  box, 
he  picked  it  up. 

After  examining  the  brass  lock  that  held  it 
closed,  he  carried  it  to  her  cabin.  Listening  for 
a  moment  outside  the  door,  and  hearing  no  sound 
within,  he  entered.  Lois  was  sitting  bolt  up- 
right, staring  with  unseeing  eyes  into  a  great 
blackness.  It  was  the  blackness  of  soulsearing 
despair.  Tears  would  not  come  to  her  relief. 
Her  eyes  just  burned  and  ached  and  great  dry 
sobs  came  when  she  tried  to  articulate  the  word 
"Father." 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  65 

He  placed  the  box  upon  the  floor  beside  the 
bunk  looking  at  her  spell  bound.  Here  was  a 
kind  of  grief  entirely  new  to  him.  When  he 
heard  the  great  sob  wrung  from  the  heart  of  the 
tortured  girl,  he  turned  and  ran  to  the  deck. 
Black  as  his  conscience  was,  he  could  not  stand 
the  sight.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life,  Blackton 
felt  the  sting  of  remorse.  It  came  to  him,  not  as 
a  definite,  fully  developed  tangible  sensation,  but 
rather  as  an  indefinable  uneasiness  that  dis- 
quieted him. 

Before  his  mind's  eye  there  passed  a  fleeting 
vision  of  those  whom  he  had  wronged  in  the  past 
and  the  line  was  long.  In  it  were  the  shadowy 
figures  of  men  that  had  died.  Each  of  these 
seemed  to  point  to  him  and  say : 

''The  cup  is  very  full,  brimming  full,  Black- 
ton.  Soon  it  will  hold  no  more."  Last  in  the 
line  was  the  phantom  of  Markham.  When 
Blackton  saw  it,  the  wraith  of  the  father  of  the 
broken  girl  in  the  cabin  below,  he  cringed  and 
his  fear  of  the  dead  men  grew  within  him,  never 


66  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

to  be  eradicated.  From  that  moment,  death  be- 
came a  horror  which  was  to  haunt  him  every 
waking  hour,  and  to  torture  him  in  sleep. 

As  the  phantom  line  moved  on  into  the  empty 
shadows  of  his  mind,  he  remembered  Atel,  and 
the  Place  of  Flame.  Lust  succeeded  fear,  and 
cursing  himself  for  a  soft  fool,  he  strode  to  the 
rail  and  dropped  into  the  waiting  dinghy.  Rap- 
idly he  was  rowed  to  the  sloping  shore,  where  the 
restless  waves  seemed  to  whisper  a  litany  to  the 
dead.  Through  the  fast  gathering  darkness  of 
the  brooding  night  came  a  muffled  voice.  Steve 
was  standing  beside  a  low  mound  of  time  worn 
coral  rocks.  He  was  talking  to  his  Maker  and 

her's. 

***** 

The  rose  fires  illumined  the  cavern  with  warm 
softness,  peopling  the  shadows  of  the  recesses 
with  fantastic  shapes.  Atel  lay  upon  a  pallet  be- 
fore the  image  of  the  God,  whose  face  in  the  fitful 
glow  contorted  with  the  chimera  of  a  thousand 
fancies.  Far  down  below  at  the  foot  of  the 


TEE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  67 

mountain,  sitting  upon  a  rugged  shelf  beside  a 
fissure  that  opened  into  the*  cavernous  grottos, 
sat  Kalom,  playing  with  sweet  insistence  the 
"masi,"  the  love  song  of  the  people,  on  the  nose 
flute. 

Atel  lay  in  waiting.  Hui  would  come  to  her. 
The  great  snow  white  spirit  that  protected  her 
people  would  come  at  the  midnight  hour,  and 
she  would  mate  with  the  God.  Maktil  had  pre- 
pared her.  It  was  to  be  a  mating  of  the  soul,  and 
she  thrilled  with  the  fervor  of  her  fanatic  exalta- 
tion. Down  the  labyrinthine  corridors  of  the 
place  came  the  sound  of  Blackton's  coming. 
Atel  rose  to  her  feet  in  listening  reverence.  As 
the  white  form  of  Blackton  emerged  from  the 
dimness  of  the  corridor,  she  prostrated  herself 
to  him.  To  her  it  was  the  coming  of  Hui.  As 
he  neared  her  she  rose  again  and  the  rose  flames 
in  mellow  efflorescence  lighted  her  rounded 
figure  with  an  irridescent  sheen  of  lustrous 
splendor. 

Blackton  stopped  to  appraise  her.    He  noted 


68  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

the  fire  of  the  religious  fervor  that  lighted  the 
depths  of  her  liquid  eyes.  He  noted  the  tumult 
of  her  breast,  and  the  quiver  of  excitement  that 
gripped  her.  He  misread  the  intensity  of  her 
emotion  for  that  of  the  intoxication  of  passion. 
In  purblind  brutality  he  seized  her,  overcome  by 
the  rose-tinted  witchery  reflected  from  her  ir- 
resistible form.  She  shrank  to  him,  and  he 
pressed  the  full  lips  in  a  lingering  kiss  of  turpid 
desire. 

The  rose  tints  faded  to  a  low  mauve  as  the 
voice  of  Hui  rose  in  wrath  at  the  desecration  of 
his  bride,  but  Blaekton  neither  saw  nor  heard. 
Oblivious  to  the  premonitory  warning,  Blaekton 
pursued  his  unholy  conquest.  To  Atel,  in  her 
unhesitating  faith,  he  was  the  God. 

Before  Steve  had  returned  to  the  Sayonara, 
Blackton  had  entered  the  place  of  the  Flames. 
It  was  in  melancholy  silence  that  he  climbed  over 
the  rail  and  slumped  back  into  the  deck  chair 
that  had  been  Lois'.  She  heard  him  cross  the 


"70  At  el  he  was  the  God" 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  69 

deck  above  her  head.  Soon  she  came  to  him,  her 
face  drawn  with  suffering. 

4 '  Steve, ' '  she  said, ' '  take  me  to  father.  ' '  Steve 
involuntarily  looked  at  the  dark  line  of  palms 
that  hid  the  rocky  mound.  Then  he  glanced  at 
the  encircling  horizon.  It  was  a  black  wall  that 
hid  the  stars.  The  air  was  restless,  coming  and 
going  in  fitful  gusts.  In  answer  to  Lois'  request 
he  said,  "There  is  a  heavy  storm  brewing,  Miss 
Lois.  The  glass  has  been  acting  queerly  all  day. 
It  would  be  better  to  remain  on  the  schooner 
tonight.  I  really  expect  heavy  weather." 

"Steve,  take  me  to  father,"  was  her  only 
answer. 

He  looked  gravely  at  the  coming  blackness 
and  raised  his  whistle  to  his  lips.  The  shrill 
blast  brought  the  lascars  running,  and  lu's  terse 
orders  sent  them  making  all  fast  upon  the  Say- 
onara  that  all  be  snug  when  the  wind  should  hit 
them. 

He  watched  them  in  their  work  until  all  was 
ready  for  the  blow  and  then  gently  assisted  Lois 


70  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

overside.  Anxious  to  escape  a  wetting,  the  crew 
bent  to  the  oars,  but  the  squall  was  coming  with 
express  train  speed.  The  visible  half  of  the 
horizon  was  velvet  black,  and  stray  wisps  of 
cloud,  like  heralds  of  misfortune  flew  in  scud- 
ding drift  across  the  rising  moon. 

As  they  landed,  the  first  gust  of  the  storm  was 
upon  them  and  bourne  down  upon  wind  was  the 
hissing  roar  of  the  rain  upon  the  water.  Lois 
paid  not  the  slightest  attention  to  externals  but 
with  Steve  beside  her  for  guidance  went  directly 
to  the  grave.  Steve  had  moved  Markham's  body 
from  the  scene  of  the  tragedy  to  an  open  spot 
upon  the  shore.  As  they  neared  the  mound  Steve 
dropped  slightly  behind  and  turned  away.  Lois 
stood  at  it's  foot  for  a  moment,  then  sank  to  her 
knees  with  a  moan.  "Daddy,"  was  all  Steve 
heard, — then  the  storm  was  upon  them.  Like  a 
rending,  tearing  fiend,  the  squall  broke  with  the 
roar  of  a  might  cataract,  but  Lois  did  not  hear 
or  feel  it.  Steve  turned  to  look  at  the  schooner, 
but  it  was  blotted  from  sight  by  a  wall  of  rain 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  71 

that  obscured  even  the  dinghy  lying  on  the  beach. 

Instead  of  abating  in  fury,  the  wind  increased 
in  violence  and  Steve  went  to  Lois  and  spoke  to 
her  gently.  She  did  not  hear  him,  and  he  laid  his 
hand  softly  on  her  shoulder. 

"Miss  Lois,  let  me  take  you  back  to  the 
schooner.  The  storm  is  getting  worse,  and  soon 
the  lagoon  inside  the  reef  will  be  too  rough  for 
the  dinghy." 

Lois  turned  a  haggard  face  to  his.  Her  eyes 
burned,  red-rimmed  and  dry,  from  a  counte- 
nance, the  pallor  of  which  startled  Steve.  Tears 
would  not  come  to  her  relief.  Nature  was  weep- 
ing for  her.  The  coolness  of  those  tears  was 
grateful  to  her  though  she  did  not  sense  it.  Her 
voice,  broken  and  dry  as  her  eyes,  was  scarcely 
audible  above  the  roar  of  the  storm. 

"I  shall  spend  this  night  with  Daddy." 

Steve  could  not  find  it  in  his  heart  to  say  more. 
He  turned  and  walked  away  to  a  boulder  near 
the  place  and  sat  down  to  keep  her  vigil  with  her. 

The  wind  was  fast  becoming  a  hurricane  and 


72 

he  was  worried  for  the  safety  of  the  schooner. 
The  lagoon  was  now  an  angry  white  capped 
stretch  of  water  that  would  swamp  the  dinghy  in 
an  instant.  Steve  looked  across  the  narrow  band 
of  sand  that  held  back  the  tremendous  rollers 
that  boomed  and  crashed,  shaking  with  their 
impact  the  coral  strand  on  which  they  stood. 
The  rain  ceased  as  suddenly  as  it  came,  but  the 
wind  rose  momentarily  until  it's  shrieking  howl 
obliterated  all  other  sound.  The  roar  of  the  surf 
was  lost  in  one  great  avalanche  of  soul-killing 
deafening  noise  that  was  stupefying  to  Steve. 

For  the  moment  he  was  lost  in  it's  fury,  then 
he  thought  of  Lois  and  ran  to  her.  She  was  still 
kneeling,  but  her  head  was  supported  by  the 
rough  coral  rocks  of  the  mound. 

Fighting  his  way,  bracing  himself  against  the 
wind  driven  spray  that  caught  and  tore  at  him 
at  every  step,  each  drop  carrying  with  it  sand 
from  the  beach  that  cut  his  face  like  hot  needles, 
he  forced  his  way  toward  her.  He  knelt  beside 
her  to  raise  her  head  upon  his  arm.  Merciful 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  73 

unconsciousness  had  come  to  her.  Rising  to  his 
feet,  he  blew  his  whistle,  but  as  he  blew  it,  he 
realized  it's  futility  to  cope  with  that  storm.  In 
that  hurricane,  the  lascars  would  never  hear 
him. 

Fifty  feet  on  one  side  of  him  a  white  wall  rose 
from  the  sea  and  swept  far  into  the  fringe  of 
palms.  Behind  them  not  more  than  a  few  yards, 
was  a  low  gully  that  paralleled  the  sea.  This 
was  full  of  water  from  the  wash  of  the  waves 
over  the  low  places  on  the  shore.  The  sand  on 
which  they  stood  was  the  top  of  the  old  coral  reef 
that  in  centuries  before  had  encircled  the  island. 

Now  to  the  left  and  right  the  sea  was  breach- 
ing the  beach,  and  he  knew  himself  to  be  hemmed 
in  by  the  roaring  water.  If  the  sea  rose  further 
everything  upon  the  narrow  band  on  which  they 
were,  would  be  swept  in  one  seething  churning 
mass  into  the  twisted  jungle  far  back  of  them. 
He  looked  about  in  terrified  indecision.  With 
a  wind  that  he  could  scarcely  breast  alone,  the 
problem  of  carrying  Lois  to  a  place  of  safety 


74  TEE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

appalled  him.  A  second  wall,  towering  high 
above  the  ferns  rose,  crossing  near  to  them,  miss- 
ing the  place  on  which  they  stood  by  a  scant  five 
yards.  Steve  leaped  into  action. 

He  gathered  Lois  in  his  arms  and  turned  to 
carry  her  to  a  massive  trunk  that  was  standing 
on  the  highest  point  of  the  beach,  just  behind 
them.  A  second  later  another  wall  smashed  and 
Steve  heard  above  the  roar  of  the  hurricane  the 
rending  and  snapping  of  the  palms  that  had 
withstood  the  two  previous  onslaughts. 

The  massive  trunks,  dinghy,  lascars,  every- 
thing in  the  path  of  that  irresistible,  insane  fury 
of  water  were  swept  like  thistle  down  into  the 
thrashing,  killing,  crushing  maelstrom  of  falling 
trees  to  the  jungle.  The  strength  of  a  mad  fear 
came  to  Steve  and,  without  sensing  the  tearing 
blast  that  whipped  the  stout  fabric  of  Lois' 
skirt,  he  flung  himself  toward  the  trunk  of  the 
palm  with  the  fury  of  desperation.  Lois  lay  like 
a  dead  thing  in  his  arms. 

Twice    before    reaching    the    palm,    he    was 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  75 

stopped  by  the  hurricane  which  held  him  motion- 
less against  it's  breast.  Leaning  forward  at  an 
impossible  angle,  he  drove  himself  slowly  for- 
ward, and  with  a  last  despairing  effort,  reached 
the  trunk.  He  got  behind  it,  and  with  Lois  be- 
tween him  and  the  rough  surface,  clung  to  it  for 
support. 

The  breaching  seas  were  coming  nearer  now. 
One  giant  wave  wetted  him  to  the  knees  with  it's 
wash. 

The  trunk  inclined  slightly  from  the  sea  for 
the  "trades"  generally  came  from  that  direction, 
and  Steve  started  to  climb.  Forcing  Lois  higher 
up  and  over  his  shoulder,  he  climbed,  the  trunk 
between  his  knees  and  by  slow  lifting  of  his 
arms,  raised  his  double  burden  upward.  The 
side  wash  grappled  at  his  feet,  and  he  was  forced 
to  stop  and  hold  on,  but  he  won  his  way  slowly 
upward  by  inches  until  he  cleared  the  curling 
water. 

As  he  climbed,  the  trunk  became  thinner  and 
he  was  able  to  clasp  his  limbs  about  it.  He  loos- 


76 

ened  his  belt,  arid  passing  it  around  the  trunk, 
endeavored  to  get  it  around  Lois.  The  belt  was 
too  short  and  he  crushed  her  to  the  stem  of  the 
palm  in  vain  attempt  to  make  it  reach.  Lois  re- 
gained her  senses  with  the  pain  of  that  pressure. 
Fright  came  upon  her  and  she  struggled,  but 
Steve  reassured  her.  Soon  she  was  able  to  help 
him  with  the  belt  and  worked  it  around  her 
waist.  With  this  accomplished  she  relieved 
Steve  of  some  of  her  weight. 

The  trunk  was  vibrating  now  like  a  reed.  It 
did  not  sway,  but  stood  braced  by  it's  sloping 
angle  to  the  storm.  They  were  drenched  with 
the  wind  driven  spray  that  came  on  and  on  in 
solid  sheets.  Their 's  was  the  only  palm  left 
standing  in  the  murk. 

The  beach  on  either  side  was  now  a  white 
smother  that  had  swept  away  the  sand  down  to 
the  rock  beneath.  The  little  raise  their  palm 
was  on,  was  sheltered  by  an  upjutting  of  the 
coral  that  in  the  angry  swirl  of  the  waters  was 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  77 

strengthened  by  the  sand  that  settled  in  the  eddy 
at  it's  foot. 

The  trunk  was  cracking  and  groaning,  and 
Steve  gave  up  hope.  The  resistance  it  offered 
to  the  wind  with  their  weight  added,  was  prov- 
ing too  much  for  it,  and  with  each  shock  that 
shook  the  coral  to  it 's  base,  he  felt  that  it  would 
go.  There  was  only  one  thing  to  be  done  and 
Steve  drew  his  heavy  claspknife  from  his 
pocket,  opening  it  with  his  teeth.  Reaching  as 
far  as  he  could  above  Lois'  head,  he  struck  again 
and  again  at  the  friendly  trunk,  each  time  bit- 
ing out  with  the  keen  edge  of  the  knife,  a  little 
chip.  The  trunk  was  standing  at  the  extreme 
limit  of  it's  endurance  to  begin  with,  and  when 
the  knife  severed  the  fibres  on  it's  windward 
surface,  it  snapped  short  off  a  foot  above  their 
heads.  The  portion  that  towered  fifty  feet  above 
them  swung  down  and  sailed  horizontally  like  a 
great  battering  ram,  into  the  twisted  chaos  of  the 
leveled  jungle. 

Steve  got  his  forearm  over  the  splintered  end 


78  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

and  rested  his  aching  limbs.  The  stump  stood 
like  a  rock  now,  without  quivering  and  Steve 
breathed  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving.  Lois  sagged 
in  the  loop  of  the  belt  for  her  strength  was  gone, 
and  Steve,  after  resting  his  cramped  thighs, 
lifted  her  higher  and  hooked  the  belt  over  the 
edge  of  the  splintered  end  of  the  stump.  After 
what  seemed  hours,  exhaustion  complete  and 
stupefying  came  to  Lois  and  she  slept  with  Steve 
changing  arms  now  and  then  as  the  pain  of  the 
pressure  of  his  arm  on  the  sharp  splinters  be- 
came unendurable. 

In  the  kampong  of  the  people  there  was  ruin. 
Although  in  the  shelter  of  the  encircling  jungle 
the  hurricane  had  found  it.  Not  a  house  was  left 
standing  and  the  people  had  taken  refuge  in  one 
of  the  outer  openings  of  the  caverns  of  the  hol- 
low mountain.  Deep  within  the  bowels  of  the 
mountain  was  the  abode  of  Hui  where  Blackton, 
unconscious  of  the  storm  that  raged  without,  was 
utterly  detached,  holding  in  wanton  arms  the  en- 
thralling Atel. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  79 

As  the  hours  passed,  the  torture  of  the  splint- 
ers on  Steve's  arms  was  more  than  he  could 
stand,  but  he  clung  on  in  agony  of  fear  that 
should  he  be  swept  away,  Lois  would  be  lost. 

The  storm  like  a  lion  cheated  of  it's  prey,  still 
roared  about  them  but  only  a  thin  sheet  of  the 
wash  of  the  breaching  seas  now  slid  around  the 
base  of  the  stump.  It  was  into  a  scant  two 
inches  of  this  slow  moving  water  that  Steve 
dropped  from  his  hold  eight  feet  above,  when  the 
pain  overcame  him. 

He  struck  on  his  feet  and  his  knees  giving 
way  beneath  him,  rolled  on  his  side  and  lay 
there  in  the  lee  of  the  projecting  rim  of  the  coral. 
The  sun  was  clear  of  the  horizon  when  he  awak- 
ened. Lois  hung  with  her  face  pressed  against 
the  stump  for  the  belt  had  worked  up  beneath 
her  shoulders. 

Only  racing  billows  now  pounded  the  clean 
white  sand  on  the  beach  below.  High  upon  the 
beach  at  the  right,  draped  in  a  mass  of  tangled 


80  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

rigging  was  the  Sayonara.  Steve  groaned  as  he 
gazed  at  it. 

Where  there  had  been  a  mound  of  coral  rock 
there  was  now  a  shallow  depression.  Markham 
had  moved  to  another  resting  place! 

Steve  looked  up  at  Lois.  The  belt  was  cutting 
cruelly  into  her  tender  body,  and  she  twisted 
with  the  pain  of  it.  With  the  pain  of  stiffened 
muscles  that  made  him  curse  aloud,  he  worked 
his  way  up  to  her  and  slid  the  belt  down  around 
the  trunk.  By  slow  movements,  an  inch  or  two 
at  a  time  he  lowered  her  to  the  ground.  As  he 
unbuckled  the  belt  she  sank  to  the  sand  with  a 
little  "Oh"  of  relief.  While  she  rested  for  the 
moment,  he  turned  toward  the  Sayonara.  Even 
from  the  distance  at  which  he  stood  he  could  see 
that  the  staunch  little  schooner  was  totally  dis- 
abled. There  was  a  gaping  hole  in  her  bottom 
that  Steve  knew  was  beyond  any  attempt  at  re- 
pair that  could  be  made  on  the  island. 

The  outlook  was  not  comforting.  Months 
might  pass  before  even  a  pearling  schooner  or  a 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  81 

Malay  trader  passed  within  signaling  distance 
of  the  island.  Markham  had  stayed  there  two 
years.  That  was  in  the  days  when  ships  chose 
the  channel  that  lay  outside  the  outer  reef,  but 
now,  with  the  coming  of  the  steamers,  the  lanes 
lay  far  to  the  west.  He  turned  again  to  Lois  and 
helped  her  to  her  feet.  Together  they  walked 
toward  the  schooner.  They  had  no  definite  pur- 
pose in  going  to  the  Sayonara.  It  represented 
the  only  thing  left  them  from  the  outer  world, 
and  they  gravitated  toward  it  as  one  does  toward 
a  former  habitation.  To  them  it  was  the  only 
home  they  knew  on  the  island.  It  had  been  their 
home  for  weeks.  On  it  they  would  find  the 
things  with  which  to  build  quarters  on  the  island, 
but  they  were  prisoners. 

The  hard  beaten  sand  made  walking  easy  and 
Lois,  though  stiff  and  sore,  swung  along  bravely 
and  even  attempted  a  wan  smile.  She  noted 
Steve's  lacerated  forearms  where  the  sharp 
splinters  had  left  their  mark.  She  noted  that  he 


82  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

was  forcing  himself  ahead  and  she  made  up  her 
mind  to  be  brave  for  his  sake. 

They  were  just  passing  a  pile  of  twisted 
paumotus  that  lay  in  their  path,  when  Steve 
looked  down  at  her  face  and  caught  the  wan  half 
smile.  It  stiffened  him  and  he  came  to  know  the 
fortitude  of  woman. 

As  Steve  looked  into  her  eyes  he  saw  them 
open  wide  in  horror.  He  turned  to  follow  their 
terrified  gaze.  Lois  stopped,  frozen  at  what  she 
saw.  It  was  her  father's  new  resting  place. 
With  the  wild  scream  of  sudden  madness  Lois 
shrieked  "Father!"  and  burst  into  hysterical 
laughter.  Steve  was  petrified. 

She  sank  to  the  ground  with  weakness  and 
tried  to  crawl  toward  the  body  of  her  father. 
Steve  ran  to  her  and  raised  her  to  her  feet.  As 
she  regained  her  feet  she  turned  to  him  still 
laughing  in  her  insane  frenzy  and  Steve  recoiled 
in  horror.  Then  without  warning  she  sprang  at 
him.  She  struck  and  bit  and  tore  to  try  to  kill 
him  and  Steve  was  unable  to  defend  himself. 


THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE  &3 

afraid  of  hurting  her.  Her  shrieks  chilled  him 
to  the  bone.  He  wanted  to  run  away  for  the 
sight  of  Lois'  madness  unnerved  him.  He 
shook  her  off  but  she  was  upon  him  again  like  a 
wild  cat.  Then  a  great  revulsion  of  feeling  came 
over  him.  Choking  out  "Lois  girl,  forgive  me," 
he  drew  his  heavy  forearm  back  and  struck  her 
on  the  chin. 

She  clung  to  him  a  fraction  of  a  moment,  then, 
like  a  broken  tiger  lily  slid  from  his  arms  and 
lay  quiet  at  his  feet.  Steve  staggered  away  and 
sat  down  upon  a  fallen  log,  his  head  between  his 
hands.  Despair,  black  as  night  enveloped  him. 

Steve  sat  for  the  moment  in  miserable  con- 
templation. Lois  must  be  taken  care  of.  He 
feared  for  her  reason,  and  it  came  to  him  that 
should  she  receive  another  such  shock,  it  might 
be  gone  forever.  Rising  he  went  to  her  and 
gathered  her  in  his  arms.  He  carried  her,  head 
and  feet  hanging  limp,  to  the  schooner  where  he 
laid  her  gently  on  the  sand  in  the  lee  of  the 
wreck.  The  sudden  short  arm  blow  had  stopped 


84  THE  LA  GOOF  OF  DESIRE 

the  tired  brain  dead  in  it's  vagaries,  and  she  lay 
like  one  asleep.  Her  clothing,  twisted  and  torn, 
was  wrapped  tightly  about  her.  They  accentu- 
ated her  frail  appearance,  and  Steve's  heart  went 
out  to  her  without  reserve  at  that  moment. 

It  came  to  him,  that  without  her,  life  was  not 
worth  the  living.  Her  dark  hair,  loosened  by  the 
tearing  storm  of  the  night  before,  lay  spread 
beneath  her  head  and  brought  into  strong  relief 
the  translucent  bluish  pallor,  the  dark  hollows 
beneath  her  eyes  though  her  face  was  untroubled 
in  it's  repose.  Her  brain  was  having  a  complete, 
an  absolute  rest. 

Steve  was  not  of  the  religious  turn  of  mind, 
but  as  he  stood  there,  a  tatter  clothed  figure, 
showing  bronze  amid  the  rents,  he  raised  his  head 
and  gazed  beyond  the  sky.  His  lips  moved  but 
he  uttered  no  sound.  He  called  to  Him  to  give 
her  strength  to  recover  and  plead  that  he  might 
be  the  one  to  suffer  and  not  she.  As  the  numbed 
nerves  lost  the  effect  of  the  blow,  the  facial 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  85 

muscles  relaxed  slightly,  and  the  drawn  expres- 
sion faded  from  Lois'  face. 

Steve  looked  again  at  the  still  figure.  She 
seemed  to  smile  and  though  it  was  but  her  face 
resuming  it's  wonted  softness,  it  seemed  to  Steve 
to  be  an  answer  to  his  prayer. 

A  blue-veined  marble  figure  whose  face  was 
ineffably  sweet  and  a  bronze  statue  that  stood 
above  her  and  which  seemed  to  say,  not  with  the 
lips,  the  face,  but  rather  by  it's  attitude,  "He, 

with  me  will  save  you.    Alone  I  cannot." 

***** 

Steve  clambered  over  the  low  rail  of  the  Say- 
onara  and  looked  around  him  at  the  wreckage 
of  her  rigging.  Shrugging  his  shoulders,  he 
went  below.  Going  directly  to  Lois'  cabin  he 
found  that,  though  things  were  thrown  around 
in  wild  confusion,  it  was  habitable  though  the 
sloping  deck  made  walking  hard.  As  he  dropped 
to  the  sand  again  beside  the  silent  figure  of  the 
girl,  she  stirred  slightly  and  rolled  over  on  her 
side.  Her  stupor  had  given  way  to  sleep.  He 


86  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

lifted  her  gently  and  she  opened  her  eyes  with  a 
little  expression  of  wonderment.  Her  lips 
formed  some  unuttered  word,  then  she  snuggled 
like  a  tired  child  to  his  breast.  There  had  been 
no  look  of  recognition  in  her  eyes.  Her  memory 
had  ceased  to  function.  He  strode  to  the  low 
side  of  the  Sayonara,  lifted  her  feet  over  the  rail, 
raising  her  up  to  a  sitting  position  upon  it  and 
held  her  there  with  one  hand  while  he  swung 
himself  up  with  the  other. 

Then  he  carried  her  below.  When  he  laid  her 
on  her  berth,  she  murmured  "  Daddy,  I  want  a 
drink. ' '  Steve  went  and  got  it  for  her  from  the 
butts  upon  the  deck.  When  he  raised  her  head 
to  help  her  drink,  she  took  a  little  swallow,  smiled 
sweetly  at  him,  saying  "Thank  you,  Daddy."  A 
moment  later  she  sank  into  a  profound  slumber. 

He  went  on  deck  and  sat  down  to  smoke  and 
think.  He  was  tired  and  stiff.  Abominably  so. 

He  was  hungry  too,  but  he  was  too  done  in  to 
want  to  put  up  with  the  pain  the  getting  of  the 
food  would  cost  him.  He  would  wait  until  he 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  87 

felt  better  before  eating — he  told  himself. 

It  came  to  him  that  Lois  would  need  fresh 
clothing  and  clean  linen.  He  wondered  how  long 
she  would  be  ill,  and  the  thought  of  it  and  the 
details  of  her  care  that  were  entailed,  worried 
him.  It  was  his  duty,  but  it  was  disconcerting. 
Her  mind  was  gone,  maybe  she  would  never 
know,  well,  things  had  to  be  done. 

' 'Yes"  he  murmured  "I  must  care  for  her." 
Black  ton  came  to  his  mind  and  he  wondered 
dully  where  he  was.  "He  must  have  perished  in 
the  storm  with  the  rest  of  the  men,"  he  told  him- 
self. The  thought  gave  him  comfort. 

Then  he  went  to  her  trunk  where  it  lay  over- 
turned. The  water,  that  had  sloshed  around  the 
floor,  had  soaked  it's  contents,  and  lying  in  a 
heap  were  many  garments  that  had  hung  on  the 
wall.  He  looked  at  the  trunk  a  long  moment 
before  opening  it.  Somehow  he  thought  she 
wouldn't  like  to  have  him,  a  man,  pawing  over 
all  the  little  things,  the  intimate  things,  she  wore. 
Then,  after  the  realization  that  everything  must 


88  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

be  washed  and  dried  before  they  could  be  worn, 
he  swung  the  lid  and  scooped  up  the  tangled  sod- 
den clothing  in  a  wad  and  strode  to  the  deck. 

There  he  rigged  a  line  and  hung  them  out. 
There  were  curious  silky  things  among  them; 
Things  so  sheer  and  delicate  that  Steve  handled 
them  in  fear  that  he  would  tear  them.  As  he 
marveled  at  their  texture,  he  compared  it  to  the 
texture  of  the  girl  there  below,  the  while  feeling 
somehow  a  traitor  and  that  he  was  taking  a  lib- 
erty with  her,  herself.  When  he  had  hung  the 
last  dainty  thing  he  turned  and  sat  down  upon  a 
tin  bucket  that  lay  in  the  scuppers,  his  feet 
stretched  up  the  sloping  deck,  his  back  against 
the  rail.  He  watched  the  garments  flutter  in  the 
evening  breeze  for  a  moment,  then  rose  and  sat 
down  again.  This  time  his  back  was  to  them. 

The  sun  was  nearing  the  zenith  when  Steve 
rose  from  his  seat  upon  the  deck.  He  was 
hungry.  His  hunger  warned  him  that  Lois 
needed  food  and  he  went  to  the  little  galley  to 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  89 

prepare  a  meal  for  her.  While  the  water  was 
heating  for  her  tea  he  tiptoed  to  her  cabin. 

Lois  was  still  asleep  so  he  left  her,  and  went 
again  to  the  galley.  He  prepared  food  for  her, 
and  soon  stepped  on  the  sloping  deck  with  a  tray 
of  dishes.  He  entered  the  litle  cabin  and  placed 
the  tray  upon  the  bunk  beside  her.  Then  he 
called  her  gently  and  she  awakened  slowly, 
languidly  and  without  interest.  Indicating  the 
tray  with  a  movement  of  his  arm,  he  told  her  that 
she  must  eat  something.  Her  eyes  followed  the 
gesture  and  she  tried  to  rise  to  her  elbow,  but 
the  effort  was  too  much,  and  she  sank  back  to 
the  pillow  too  weak  to  aid  herself. 

He  was  beside  her  on  the  instant,  and  sitting 
beside  her,  her  head  resting  on  his  shoulder,  she 
ate  the  spoonfuls  he  gave  her. 

The  tea  brightened  her  perceptibly,  but  she 
did  not  know  him  for  himself.  When  she  could 
eat  no  more,  she  turned  her  face  away  from  the 
spoon  and  snuggled  down  to  him,  her  face  hid- 
den beneath  his  hard  brown  arm  and  his  breast. 


90  TEE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

"Darling  Daddy,"  she  murmured. 

Steve 's  eyes  hardened.  He  reconstructed  what 
must  have  happened  that  terrible  evening  that 
now  seemed  ages  ago,  when  her  father  had  gone 

% 

ashore  and  found  the  box.  He  remembered  the 
little  grave  in  Java,  in  the  churchyard  in  Batavia 
and  the  mournful  notes  of  the  "gamelan"*  that 
someone  played  just  over  the  cemetery  wall. 

He  looked  down  at  the  little  brown  head  that 
nestled  on  his  breast,  and  the  chestnut  hair 
brushed  lightly  against  his  cheek.  Supplanting 
the  steely  glint  in  Steve 's  eyes  came  one  of  great 
softness  and  an  infinite  pity. 

He  pressed  his  lips  into  the  tangled  riot  of  her 
hair,  and  held  them  there  for  minutes.  Then  he 
laid  her  back  upon  the  pillow  and  stroked  her 
forehead,  his  hard  brown  hand  as  gentle  as  a 
woman's. 

"I'm  so  comfy,  Daddy."  Steve  bent  low  to 
catch  the  words. 


*Gamelan.    A  series  of  tuned  gongs. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  91 

"Yes,  little  girl,  I'm  your  daddy  now."  He 
opened  the  porthole  to  give  her  air. 

Lois  fell  asleep  again  with  a  contented  little 
sigh.  Her  lips  moved  as  she  drifted  into  slum- 
ber. "I  love  you,  Daddy." 

«•**## 

Blackton  awakened  from  a  heavy  sleep  to  find 
Atel  sitting  upright  looking  at  him  in  fond  rever- 
ence. The  old  women  who  were  the  servants  of 
the  priest,  had  placed  at  the  entrance  of  the 
sacred  chamber,  food  for  the  bride  of  Hui  early 
the  evening  before.  Atel  had  brought  it  to  her 
lord  and  awaited  his  awakening.  He  smiled  at 
her  and  ate  the  fruits  she  offered  him  with  relish. 
There  were  mangoes  and  ripe  pisang,  papaya 
and  succulent  mersoes.  As  he  ate  he  drew  her 
to  him  and  she  fed  him  with  childish  pleasure. 
He  became  enthralled  with  her  wondrous  beauty 
and  he  wished  that  he  could  keep  her  always. 
The  thought  came  that  this  was  a  woman  of  the 
islands  and  that  her  beauty  would  fade  quickly 


92  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

as  does  a  sun-burned  flower  and  he  frowned. 
Atel  saw  the  heavy  brows  knit  and  pressed  a  vel- 
vet hand  upon  the  wrinkled  forehead.  He 
smiled  at  the  action  and  kissed  her. 

''When  she  fades  I  can  easily  lose  her,"  he  told 
himself.  He  looked  at  his  watch  and  noted  with 
surprise  the  hour.  It  was  long  past  daybreak. 
He  looked  about  undecided  as  to  what  to  do. 
"Yes"  he  murmured,  "He  would  take  her  with 
him.  They  could  keep  to  the  cover  of  the  jungle 
till  they  gained  the  shore  and  with  her  once  on 
board  the  Sayonara,  he  would  be  safe  from  the 
natives.  He  had  done  the  same  thing  in  times 
before.  Many  were  the  women  he  had  taken 
from  their  island  homes  only  to  be  cast  off  when 
they  lost  their  charm."  Rising,  he  took  her  by 
the  hand  and  lead  her  toward  the  entrance  pass- 
age. As  they  threaded  their  way  down  the  cor- 
ridor there  came  the  murmur  of  muffled  voices 
and  Blackton  stopped  to  listen.  There  came  to 
him  the  sound  of  weeping. 

The  people  were  in  the  outer  cavern  where  they 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  93 

had  token  refuge  from  the  storm.  The  men  had 
gone  to  the  kampong  in  the  early  morning  and 
had  brought  back  the  news  of  the  ruin  of  the 
village.  Loud  was  the  wailing  of  the  women  for 
their  homes  were  gone. 

Blackton  listened  in  wonderment  then  turned 
to  retrace  his  steps.  If  discovered  in  the  sacred 
precincts  of  the  God's  abode  he  knew  death  to 
be  the  penalty.  "There  must  be  some  other  way 
out  of  the  place"  he  spoke  aloud.  He  followed 
the  twisting  corridor  until  he  came  to  a  shallow 
stream  that  burbled  it's  way  out  of  a  crevice  in 
the  solid  rock.  He  remembered  the  rivulet  that 
he  had  crossed  outside  the  mountain  on  his  way 
from  the  beach.  "It  must  be  the  same  stream" 
was  his  conclusion.  He  stepped  into  the  water 
and  with  Atel  close  behind  made  his  way  down- 
ward. Soon  he  saw  a  round  spot  of  white  ahead 
and  he  pushed  hurriedly  on.  They  emerged  on 
the  other  side  of  the  mountain  from  the  beach 
and  Blackton  recoiled  at  what  he  saw.  He  was 
dumbfounded.  Where  tall  palms  had  reared 


94  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

their  stately  heads  was  a  chaos  of  twisted  desola- 
tion. The  jungle  was  leveled  as  far  as  he  could 
see.  Only  here  and  there  the  stripped  skeletons 
of  a  giant  tapang  or  makeo  tree. 

His  startled  gaze  turned  to  the  coast  line  and 
far  down  the  beach  lying  high  out  of  the  water 
he  saw  the  wreck  and  tangled  rigging  of  the  Say- 
onara.  Black  ton  nearly  choked  with  rage.  For- 
getting Atel  in  his  anger  and  anxiety,  he  broke 
into  a  dead  run  toward  the  schooner.  Atel  did 
not  understand  but  followed  close  behind. 
Blackton  leaped  upon  a  mass  of  fallen  palm 
trunks  that  lay  in  his  way.  As  his  weight  came 
upon  them  they  settled  slightly,  then  with  a  loud 
crackling  roar  the  whole  mass  dropped  from 
underneath  him.  He  disappeared  in  the  fallen 
mass  of  tree  trunks  with  a  scream  of  mortal 
terror. 

Atel  who  had  fallen  a  short  distance  behind, 
stopped  at  the  edge  of  the  chasm.  Yawning 
blackly  below  her  was  a  great  crevasse  in  the 
forefoot  of  the  mountain.  She  gazed  wide  eyed 


THE  LA  GOON  OF  DESIRE  95 

below  her  and  something  moving  caught  her  eye. 
It  was  Blackton  struggling  in  a  great  tangle,  of 
palm  froiids  and  rattan  creepers  that  had  broken 
his  fall.  With  the  agility  of  a  chamois  Atel 
clambered  down  the  precipitous  wall  of  the 
chasm  to  aid  him.  When  she  finally  worked  her 
way  to  where  he  lay,  Blackton  was  in  a  dead 
faint.  The  fall  had  wrenched  his  spine  and  he 
had  fainted  with  the  pain  of  it.  Atel  fell  to  con- 
structing a  platform  of  palm  fronds  over  which 
she  placed  others  to  form  a  shelter  from  the  blaz- 
ing sun. 

When  Blackton  regained  consciousness  she 
half  dragged,  half  lifted  him  to  the  shelter.  He 
swooned  again  with  the  pain  the  moving  cost 
him.  There  passed  many  days  with  Blackton  in 
fevered  anguish.  Atel  nursed  him  with  the 
juices  of  jungle  plants.  She  rubbed  his  back 
with  the  medicines  of  the  people  which  she  gath- 
ered from  the  forests.  She  gathered  fruits  and 
cocoanuts  which  supplied  both  food  and  drink 
and  through  it  all  bore  Blackton 's  growing  abuse 


96  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

of  her  with  patient  tolerance.  In  her  savage 
ignorance  Blackton  was  the  God.  Atel  had  not 
heard  of  the  coming  of  the  schooner.  Only  once 
had  she  seen  men  of  another  tribe  and  those  men 
had  dark  skins.  No  white  man  had  visited  the 
island  in  all  her  eighteen  years  except  Markham 
and  the  men  that  had  rescued  him.  These  she 
had  not  seen  for  she  was  very  young. 

Blackton  became  brutal  toward  her,  blaming 
her  for  his  mishap.  To  scale  the  almost  vertical 
walls  of  the  crevasse  was,  he  knew,  impossible, 

until  his  sprained  back  mended. 

***** 

To  the  westward  of  the  island  slowly  working 
from  pearling  bed  to  pearling  bed,  a  fleet  of  lug- 
gers lay  at  anchor.  It  was  the  time  of  their 
yearly  cruise  among  the  smaller  islands.  When 
their  bins  were  full  of  shell  they  would  sail  for 

Singapore  and  civilization. 

***** 

The  days  passed  on  leaden  feet  for  Steve. 
Lois  greeted  him  with  childlike  simplicity  when 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  97 

he  went  to  her  to  bring  her  food  or  to  care  for 
her.  Her  body  regained  it's  strength  but  mem- 
ory refused  to  return  and  Steve  began  to  despair 
of  it's  ever  coming  back.  He  gloated  over  the 
fact  of  her  growing  strength  and  of  the  health- 
ful rose  bloom  that  was  slowly  tinging  her  lips 
and  rounded  cheeks  but  her  lack  of  memory  wor- 
ried him. 

He  built  two  palm  leaf  shacks  in  a  clearing  at 
the  edge  of  the  jungle,  using  spars  and  fittings 
from  the  schooner  for  the  framework  against 
the  time  when  she  should  be  well  enough  to  move. 
Meanwhile  he  cared  for  her  with  the  tenderness 
of  his  love  and  the  impersonal  attention  of  a 
trained  nurse. 

Passed  the  days.  Lois  remained  below.  Each 
morning  he  went  to  her  and  carried  her  across 
the  saloon  to  the  other  cabin  and  fresh  bed 
clothing  after  he  had  sponged  her.  To  her  he 

was, — "Daddy." 

***** 

In  the  crevasse  of  the  mountain  side  Blackton 


98  THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

slowly  recovered.  He  was  able  to  sit  up  now 
and  amused  himself  with  Atel  though  at  times 
he  became  morose  at  the  enforced  inactivity.  At 
these  times  he  became  increasingly  brutal  in  his 
treatment  of  her  and  she  would  leave  him  to 
climb  the  perilous  chasm  wall  to  search  for  choice 
jungle  fruits  with  which  she  tried  to  lure  him 
from  the  grip  of  his  ill-temper.  Many  of  these 
offerings  were  washed  with  the  salt  tears  his 

brutality  caused  her. 

#     *     *     *     # 

Came  the  morning  that  Steve  went  to  Lois  and 
found  her  sitting  bolt  upright  staring  at  him  as 
he  entered  the  cabin  door.  He  had  a  clean 
washed  night-gown  in  his  hand. 

As  Steve  gazed  into  her  eyes,  he  saw  that  rea- 
son had  returned.  He  also  saw  that  she  knew. 
No  word  was  spoken.  They  just  looked  at  one 
another.  Co-mingled  in  her  eyes  was  everything 
that  a  woman  who  loves  can  express  through 
those  windows  of  her  soul.  Before  that  look, 
Steve  felt  like  a  mischievous  boy  caught  in  re- 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE  99 

pairing  some  wrong  before  discovery.  Before 
the  gratitude,  the  trust,  the  infinite  love  that  look 
carried,  he  colored  to  the  roots  of  his  hair.  His 
embarrassment  was  absolute. 

Gently  she  spoke  to  him. 

"Steve,"  she  said,  "Come  here."  He  went  to 
her.  ' '  Bend  over. ' '  He  bent  over  her.  Placing 
one  soft  arm  around  his  neck  to  lift  herself  and 
one  hand  upon  his  cheek,  she  pressed  her  lips  to 
his  and  murmured  "Dear,  good  Steve."  Then 
she  pushed  him  from  her  and  as  he  straightened 
said,  tremulous  with  feeling,  "D  remember 
everything,  and  you  dear,  big  minded  boy,  I 
know  everything.  Bring  me  all  my  clothes, 
Steve."  Steve  brought  them.  She  received 
them  where  he  placed  them,  at  the  foot  of  the 
bunk  in  silence,  and  he  turned  to  go,  closing  the 
door  behind  him. 

"What  is  it.  Miss  Lois,"  he  answered  through 
the  closed  door  of  the  cabin. 

"What  is  it,  Lois,"  she  answered.  Steve  hesi- 
tated, then  answered  "What  is  it,  Lois?" 


100          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

•" That's  better"  came  from  within,  "you  for- 
got something. ' ' 

Steve  turned  and  went  to  the  other  cabin. 
There  was  a  pink  something  lying  on  the  floor 
there,  that  he  had  dropped  and  he  colored  again. 
He  picked  it  up,  and  and  with  it  doubled  in  his 
fist,  crossed  the  saloon,  knocking  on  Lois'  door. 
"Come  in,  Steve."  Steve  entered.  Lois  saw 
what  it  was  he  carried,  and  it  was  her  turn  to 
color.  Her  face  became  suffused  and  Steve's 
face  was  a  picture.  Lois  was  the  first  to  recover 
speech,  and  she  said,  "I  didn't  mean  that,  Steve, 
I  meant  this. "  She  held  up  her  lips  to  be  kissed, 
gazing  into  his  eyes  radiant  with  love  of  him. 
He  bent  over  her  again,  and  their  lips  met, 
while  her  hand  stroked  the  hair  back  from  his 
forehead.  He  wanted  to  crush  her  to  him,  to 
take  into  his  arms  this  heart  of  his  desire,  and 
fondle  her,  but  it  flashed  upon  him  that  she  was 
far  from  well,  and  that  now  her  gratitude  and 
the  stress  she  had  been  under,  had  warped  her 
judgment.  He  gently  un-twined  the  arms  that 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          101 

clasped  him  to  her  and  rose.  He  bent  down  as 
he  turned  to  go  and  kissed  her  on  the  forehead. 

Into  that  kiss  went  all  the  feeling  that  was 
in  him,  and  there  rose  from  the  Gethsemane  of 
Java  a  spirit  that  spoke  a  benediction  over  them, 
and  Steve  felt  it's  presence.  Then  he  went  and 
dosed  the  door  as  before.  As  he  closed  it,  he 
heard  her  speak. 

"Are  you  going  on  deck,  Steve?" 

"Yes,  Lois." 

"Then  leave  the  door  open,  I'm  suffocating." 

He  opened  it,  and  hooked  it  there,  then  he 
went  on  deck. 

Lois  sat  upright,  turning  over  in  her  mind 
the  events  of  the  last  few  moments.  She  still 
felt  the  pressure  of  that  soul  kiss  upon  her  brow 
and  she  felt  that  somehow  that  kiss  was  a  holy 
one.  She  looked  down  at  her  feet  where  the  pink 
something  lay.  She  drew  it  to  her.  Somehow 
the  two  things  seemed  to  merge  into  one — the 
kiss  and  the  sheer  pink  garment. 

She  remembered  the  burning  face  that  had 


102          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

looked  down  into  hers,  and  the  brown  fist  that 
had  tried  to  hide  what  it  held.  Into  the  picture 
came  two  others;  a  bare-headed  boy  beside  a 
newly  made  grave  in  Java,  and  a  patch  of  milk 
white  sand  with  a  low  mound  of  mossy  coral 
rocks.  As  she  folded  the  wisp  of  silk,  smoothing 
out  the  wrinkles  automatically  as  she  did  so,  she 
tried  to  remember  what  had  happened  after 
landing  near  the  mound.  There  seemed  to  have 
been  a  storm,  but  she  was  not  quite  sure.  Mem- 
ory failed  her  from  that  time  until  the  time  that 
she  was  dimly  conscious  of  someone  nursing  her. 
Then,  it  had  seemed  to  be  Daddy,  but  now,  just 
this  morning,  with  the  clearing  of  her  reason  it 
had  burst  upon  her  that  he  had  passed  beyond, 
and  that  Steve  had  been  the  one  to  care  for  her. 
Big.  hard,  soft,  Steve.  Steve,  who  had,  he  must 
have,  performed  the  most  intimate  of  services 
for  her,  and  he  blushed  like  an  embarrassed  girl 
at  a  very  little  thing. 

When  she  had  awakened,  she  reconstructed 
all  these  things.    She  was  just  summing  them  all 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          103 

up  when  he  had  entered  to  change  her  night- 
gown. Without  asking  herself  why,  or  really 
being  conscious  of  the  fact,  her  heart,  which,  up 
to  then,  had  gone  to  him  only  in  pity,  went  to  him 
fully,  unreservedly.  It  went  to  him  in  love,  rev- 
erance  and  adoration.  She  had  become  in  those 
moments,  not  Lois  Markham,  but  Steve's 
woman. 

Utterly  his  to  hold  upon  the  pinnacle  her  in- 
stinct told  her  she  stood  upon,  or  to  possess  and 
to  damn  eternally.  These  things  were  no  part 
of  thoughts,  they  just  were.  She  wanted  to  pos- 
sess him. 

With  the  realization  that  she  belonged  to  him, 
they  came  as  the  dower  of  all  nature — co-given 
with  the  heart.  Lois  was  at  that  moment  as  in- 
capable of  carnal  thought  as  when  she  drew  her 
first  breath.  This  new  desire  held  no  passion. 
There  was  no  thought  that  stained  the  purity  of 
her  mind.  It  was  the  something  that  the  good 
women  reserves  for  one.  The  desire  to  have 
that  one  crushed  to  her,  become  a  part  of  her. 


104          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

The  instinctive  mothering  desire  to  mother  that 
one,  to  perpetuate  him  among  mankind.  The 
desire  that  may  transform  the  red  blotch-faced 
oft-polluted  bar-maid  to  a  Madonna. 

"Steve, "she  called. 

He  rose  from  his  seat  on  the  deck,  and  went 

to  her. 

***** 

After  he  had  left  her,  after  that  long  pressure 
of  his  lips  upon  her  brow,  Steve  had  been  busy 
with  himself.  Lois  and  her  gratitude  filled  his 
mind.  Long  before,  he  knew  he  loved  her.  Long 
before,  he  knew  that  without  her  Life  was  not 
worth  the  living.  He  pictured  himself  in  her 
position  and  from  the  viewpoint  of  a  man,  saw 
in  Lois'  demonstration  of  her  love,  only  grati- 
tude. His  heart  hungered  within  him  to  tell 
her,  to  lay  his  heart  at  her  little  feet,  but  his 
blind  judgment  told  him  "No!" 

The  mental  strain  she  had  endured,  the  physi- 
cal strain  that  had,  he  told  himself,  unpoised  her 
sense  of  proportion,  made  her  call  upon  him  for 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          105 

care  and  protection,  even  from  herself,  the 
paramount  duty.  His  love  must  wait.  It  must 
be  answered  in  kind  and  not  with  gratitude,  in- 
volving the  gift  of  self.  That  could  never  be 
complete.  It  could  never  be  complete  unless  the 
soul  went  with  it.  "First,"  he  told  himself, 
"It  was  pity,  then  gratitude."  Love  was  un- 
recognized, and  behind  it  all  the  shadow  of 
mutual  desire.  A  sapphire  lagoon  that  could 
become  black  as  the  Styx  itself. 

"Yes,  in  the  lagoon  there  lives  a  shadow,"  he 
told  himself.  It  was  with  this  thought  in  mind 
that  he  went  to  Lois  when  she  called  him. 

As  Steve  entered,  Lois'  eyes  that  were  raised 
to  watch  his  coming,  fell.  The  color  in  her  face 
slowly  heightened  as  she  groped  for  words.  She 
raised  her  face  to  him,  and  in  answer  to  his 
questioning  look,  held  out  her  arms  to  him. 

"What  is  it,  Lois,  girl?"  he  asked,  going  to 
her.  Her  eyes,  great  luminous  pools  of  love, 
spoke  to  him  in  eloquent  language,  but  he  did 
not  fully  understand. 


106          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

Her  heart  was  full,  and  the  words  fell  from 
her  trembling  lips  ill  chosen  in  the  spontaneity. 

"I — my  whole  life  belong  to  you,  Steve,  take 
me!" 

Her  appeal  overpowered  him,  and  he  sank  be- 
side her  on  the  bunk  and  crushed  her  to  him, 
burying  his  face  in  her  hair.  Lois  clung  to  him 
trembling,  her  face  transfigured.  Then  he  re- 
membered those  words.  "My  whole  life  belongs 

to  you,  Steve,  take '  and  that  presence  he 

had  sensed  only  a  few  moments  before,  hovered 
near  again.  He  saw  in  a  vivid  flash  a  girl,  this 
girl,  rise  from  her  seat  at  the  saloon  table  and 
cross  to  comfort  him,  a  clipping  falling  from  her 
hand.  He  saw  a  tortured  lily  lying  on  the  sand 
near  the  still  form  of  her  Daddy,  and  he  thought 
of  the  black  shadow  that  might  enter  this,  the 
Lagoon  of  his  Desire. 

His  face  raised  from  the  perfume  of  her  hair, 
with  lips  moving  in  unuttered  prayer  of  thanks- 
giving, for  the  Presence  that  had  come  to 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          107 

strengthen  him.  He  laid  her  back  upon  the  pil- 
low and  kissed  her  full  upon  the  lips. 

This  time  he  closed  the  cabin  door  behind  him 
as  he  left  her. 

Steve  had  finished  the  preparation  of  her 
breakfast  and  was  placing  it  upon  the  tray,  when 
a  light  step  sounded  behind  him.  Looking  up, 
he  saw  outlined  against  the  blazing  sky,  fully 
dressed  and  smiling,  Lois  standing  in  the  door- 
way. "Now  that  I'm  myself  again,"  she  said. 
"I  must  dismiss  you  from  my  province."  Steve 
smiled  in  turn  saying,  jokingly,  " Who's  boss 
around  here,  tell  me  that?" 

Archly  smiling.  Lois  stepped  into  the  galley 
and  leaning  close  to  him  whispered  "You  are!" 
Steve  dropped  the  fork  that  he  was  holding  and 
straightened  up  to  his  fullest  height.  In  mock 
severity,  he  ordered  her  away. 

"Get  out  of  here  instantly  or  I'll !" 

"What? "she  queried. 

"I  don't  know,  you  little  witch,"  he  answered 
lamely. 


108          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

Lois  turned  to  hide  a  happy  face.  Her  eyes 
swept  the  little  galley,  taking  in  it's  details. 

'  *  Oh !  what  a  dirty  place ! ' '  was  her  next.  ' '  It 's 
a  wonder  we're  not  poisoned.  Now,  I  know  that 
I  will  do  the  cooking.  After  breakfast,  Mister 
Boss,  we  will  clean  this  place  up."  She  looked 
at  him,  her  eyes  dancing.  Like  most  galleys  on 
small  schooners,  things  were  untidy,  and  care- 
fully swept  into  a  corner  behind  the  wood  box 
was  a  pile  of  sweepings. 

In  that  pile  was  the  accumulation  of  a  week's 
disorder.  Steve  looked  at  her  in  plaintive  help- 
lessness. 

"You  priceless  thing,"  she  said,  "I  never  saw 
a  man  yet,  that  could)  keep  house."  Steve 
grinned  shamefacedly.  Then  seriously  continu- 
ing, Lois  softly  said : 

"But,  Steve,  there  is  one  thing  you  can  keep 
arid  always  will." 

Steve  said  nothing  to  this.  He  just  looked  at 
her,  waiting  to  hear  what  she  would  say. 

"The  love  and  honor  of  woman."    Lois  ex- 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          109 

tended  her  hand.  He  grasped  it,  his  eyes  search- 
ing deeply  into  hers.  He  raised  the  white  hand 
to  his  lips,  and  held  it  there,  his  eyes  holding 
hers  for  a  long  moment.  She  gently  withdrew 
the  hand.  There  was  an  interval  of  strained 
silence.  In  that  moment,  as  clearly  understood 
as  if  they  had  spoken  in  agreement,  there  was 
a  covenant  made.  Each  understood.  Each  came 
to  know  that  they  were  for  each  other.  Each 
realized  that,  here,  alone,  their  love  was  impos- 
sible. Lois'  lips  trembled  and  her  eyes  grew 
moist.  His  voice,  husky  with  pent  up  feeling, 
broke  the  silence. 

"Lois,  I  have  loved  you  with  my  soul  since  the 
night  I  told  you  of  my  sister.  Life  without  you, 
holds  nothing  for  me."  He  paused  while  Lois 
hung  upon  his  words  in  rapturous  ecstasy.  Oh, 
he  did  love  her — he  did — he  did!  She  sang  it 
to  herself,  half  suffocating  with  the  joy  of  it. 
He  continued.  * '  I  can  offer  you  nothing  but  that 
love,  and  these ."  He  extended  his  hands. 

"You  are  my  God/'  she  answered  and  threw 


110          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

her  arms  around  his  neck.  Again  he  buried  his 
lips  in  the  fragrance  of  her  hair.  It  seemed  as 
though  he  were  light,  light  and  buojrant  as  a  sun- 
kist  bubble,  and  his  life  was  as  lustrous  hued  as 
the  irridescent  colors  on  it.  The  very  air  was 
sweet  as  honeysuckle  in  a  twilight  garden. 
Steve's  coffee  boiled  over  in  odorous  abandon, 

unnoticed,  unheard. 

*     *     *     *     # 

That  first  breakfast  over,  Lois  busied  herself 
in  the  galley  setting  all  to  rights.  She  was 
singing. 

On  the  beach  where  he  had  built  tjie  shacks 
was  Steve,  whistling  and  making  ready  the 
larger  of  the  shacks  for  Lois'  occupancy.  The 
hour  passed. 

Steve  had  moved  all  of  his  and  her  belongings 
to  the  shacks  and  sat  now  in  the  shade  of  the 
schooner  smoking,  resting  and  thinking.  He 
was  planning  to  level  the  schooner  and  try  to 
replank  the  gaping  hole  that  yawned  in  her 
coppered  bottom. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          111 

Lois,  her  tidying  of  the  galley  completed  came 
on  deck  for  a  breath  of  air  for  the  galley  was 
warm. 

Shielding  her  dazzled  eyes  with  her  hand  from 
the  glare  of  the  shimmering  beach,  she  gazed  at 
the  shacks  in  the  outer  fringe  of  the  jungle.  Then 
she  spied  Steve  below  her  gazing  up  at  her 
fondly. 

"What  did  you  build  the  two  shacks  for, 
Steve?"  she  queried. 

"Because,"  he  answered. 

"Oh!"  was  her  reply. 

The  days  passed  uncounted  in  their  happi- 
ness. Each  evening  arm  in  arm  they  walked  to 
the  cliffs  down  the  beach  to  watch  the  glories  of 
the  tropic  sunset.  There,  he  fashioned  a  rustic 
bench  on  which  daily  they  spent  the  evening 

hours. 

#     *     *     *     # 

Blackton  was  alone.  Atel  was  away  searching 
for  food.  He  rose  to  his  feet,  though  the  effort 
cost  him  a  little  pain,  and  grinned.  He  was  able. 


112          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

he  thought,  to  make  the  climb  up  the  almost  ver- 
tical wall  that  had  held  him  prisoner.  He  de- 
cided to  attempt  it  immediately  upon  her  return. 
He  sat  down  again  to  await  her  coming.  Soon 
she  appeared  above  him  and  he  watched  her  as 
she  made  her  way  with  lithe  agility  down  the 
rocky  cliff. 

He  ate  the  food  she  brought  him,  then,  rising, 
he  told  her  that  he  would  try  the  climb.  She 
said  "No,"  at  first,  but  he  roughly  insisted  and 
with  her  assisting  him,  stopping  to  rest  after  the 
harder  places,  they  won  the  top. 

Stealthily  they  made  their  way  along  the  edge 
of  the  chasm  toward  the  sea.  Suddenly  Black- 
ton  stopped.  Faintly  drifting  through  the  close 
growing  thicket  came  the  sound  of  music.  It 
was  Kalom,  lonely,  ever  mourning  his  loss  of 
Atel,  playing  the  love  song.  Blackton  motioned 
her  to  be  silent.  Atel  stepped  back  upon  a 
branch  with  a  loud  snap  that  echoed  through  the 
jungle.  Blackton  nearly  choked  with  fear  and 
anger.  Mouthing  a  muffled  curse  he  wheeled  and 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          113 

struck  her  viciously  upon  the  mouth.  Atel  fell 
limply  at  his  feet  while  he  stood  in  silence,  peer- 
ing through  the  tangles  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  sound  had  coine. 

Without  further  thought  of  Atel  from  whose 
mouth  there  flowed  a  stream  of  crimson,  he 
turned  and  was  lost  to  sight  in  the  darkness  of 
the  deepest  thickets. 

When  the  branch  snapped,  Kalom  with  the 
quick  ear  of  the  hunter,  froze  into  listening  si- 
lence. His  ear  caught  the  smack  of  the  brutal 
blow  that  felled  Atel.  He  heard  her  fall. 

Like  a  panther  stalking  it's  prey  he  crept  to- 
ward the  sound,  drawing  his  heavy  cane  knife  as 
he  did  so. 

He  found  Atel  lying  like  one  dead  where  she 
had  fallen. 

He  rushed  to  her  in  a  transport  of  fear  that 
she  was  really  dead  and  lifted  her  head  into  his 
arm.  Slowly  her  eyes  opened  and  gazed  into  the 
sloe  black  ones  that  devoured  hers.  She  tried 


114          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

to  smile  but  her  bruised  lips  made  the  poor  at- 
tempt ghastly. 

He  begged  of  her  to  tell  him  what  had  hap- 
pened and  as  she  told  him  all,  his  mind  reverted 
to  the  coming  of  the  white  men  and  he  realized 
that  the  one  she  thought  to  be  Hui  must  have 
been  one  of  these.  He  helped  her  to  her  feet  and ' 
led  her  to  the  kampong. 

The  new  kampong  was  buried  deep  in  the 
fastnesses  of  the  jungle  where  the  storm  had 
not  penetrated  and  it  was  in  the  late  afternoon 
when  Kalom  led  her  to  Maktil  to  demand  the 
punishment  of  the  white  man. 

Maktil  heard  the  plea  and  called  into  council 
the  elders  of  the  tribe.  Sitting  on  the  ground 
surrounded  by  a  circle  of  the  warriors  who 
voiced  their  rage  at  her  seduction,  the  old  men 
gave  their  verdict.  There  was  only  one  white 
man  on  the  island.  He  was  the  one  who  lived 
at  the  wreck  upon  the  beach.  He  was  the  guilty 
one.  They  would  go  to  him.  They  would  exact 
just  punishment.  Hui,  their  God,  must  be 


THE  LAGOOX  OF  DESIRE          115 

avenged  for  the  despoiliation  of  his  bride.    The 

war  drums  boomed  as  the  men  sought  out  their 

weapons. 

i     Blackton,  fearful  of  the  natives,  hid  in  the 

thicket  until  the  daylight  waned. 

***** 

The  sun  was  sinking  in  a  blaze  of  ruddy  glory. 
Lois  and  Steve  sat  silent  on  the  rustic  bench, 
each  busy  with  their  thoughts.  Before  them  was 
the  world:  A  flat  restless  deep  blue,  world  of 
water.  The  world  meant  nothing  to  them.  They 
meant  the  world  to  each  other,  but  there  was  the 
Bar!  It  was  the  only  rift  in  their  lute  of  com- 
plete happiness.  Tuned  in  harmony,  their  minds 
were  occupied  with  the  same  thoughts.  Neither 
thought  seriously  at  this  time  of  leaving  the 
island.  They  were  supremely  happy  to  be  alone, 
one  with  the  other. 

On  Lois'  lap  there  lay  a  book,  open  at  the  pass- 
age she  had  been  reading.  It  was  one  of  Black- 
ton 's  and  they  had  both  read  and  re-read  all  of 
them  that  he  had  left.  It  was  the  one  Steve's 


116          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

sister  had  left  on  the  schooner  but  Lois  had 
torn  the  flyleaf  from  it  and  after  folding  it  care- 
fully placed  it  in  her  locket. 

Steve 's  eye  caught  a  passage  on  the  open  page 
that  though  he  had  read  before,  came  to  him  with 
new  meaning.  He  leaned  over  and  with  a  gentle 
caress  took  the  book  from  her  and  read  the  lines. 

"The  court  finds  that  this  woman  is  the  com- 
mon law  wife  of  the  defendant ." 

Steve  looked  up  at  Lois.  Her  yearning  eyes 
gazed  into  his  lovingly.  It  was  Steve's  hour  of 
weakness. 

"Lois,"  he  whispered,  "will  you  be  my  com- 
mon-law wife?" 

Lois  turned  to  look  at  the  dying  sunset.  The 
sea  was  a  blank  of  any  living  thing.  Years 
might  elapse  before  a  ship  would  come.  "Why 
not?"  she  asked  herself.  Each  time  she  touched 
him,  she  thrilled.  Each  time  she  kissed  him 
good  night,  she  wanted  to  follow  him  to  his  bed. 
there  to  sit  and  watch  him  sleep,  brushing  back 
from  his  damp  forehead  the  clinging  curls  that 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          117 

framed  it.  Within  her  motherhood  was  calling 
insistently,  demanding  it's  own. 

She  turned  to  Steve,  cheeks  mantling,  taking 
his  hands  in  hers  she  gazed  long  into  his  eyes. 
By  no  word  or  act  had  he  ever  broken  trust. 
Her  decision  came. 

"Yes,"  she  murmured. 

Together  they  rose  to  return  to  the  schooner, 
and  the  evening  meal.  Within  the  hour,  night 
would  settle  over  them. 

The  pathway  led  from  the  cliff  through  the 
thicket  where  her  father's  cabin  lay  in  scattered 
ruin.  Heretofore,  they  had  always  avoided  this 
spot,  but  now,  Lois,  instead  of  taking  the  ac- 
customed roundabout  way,  went,  arm  in  arm 
with  Steve,  directly  to  it. 

Her  father's  sea  chest  lay  where  he  had 
dropped  it.  Lois  went  to  it  slowly  and  stood 
beside  it  wrapt  in  thought.  Some  unaccountable 
impulse  prompted  Steve  to  open  it,  and  he  lifted 
the  lid.  Scattered  in  musty  confusion  were 
papers,  clothing  and  a  small  few  boxes.  Lois, 


118          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

as  she  gazed  into  the  damp  interior,  was  carried 
back  to  her  childhood  days,  and  her  eyes  became 
filled  with  tears,  her  heart  tender  with  the  mem- 
ory of  "Daddy."  Through  her  blurred  vision  she 
saw  something  in  the  box  that  arrested  her  at- 
tention. She  bent  over  and  picked  it  up.  It 
was  a  tiny  baby's  shoe.  It  had  been  her  shoe. 
There  was  another  just  like  it  in  her  room  in 
Berkeley.  It  was  one  of  the  first  pairs  of  shoes 
that  she  had  ever  worn.  As  she  looked  at  the 
tiny  thing,  there  came  to  her  mind  a  picture  of 
other  little  ones.  Little  ones  belonging  to  her — 
and  Steve.  Her  heart  glowed  with  the  thought 
of  it,  and  she  looked  at  Steve  through  her  tear 
filled  eyes  with  lovely  tenderness. 

She  turned  it  over  in  her  hand.  Written  on 
the  sole  was  "Lois  Markham."  With  the  read- 
ing of  the  name,  she  was  stricken  with  the 
thought,  "My  children's  name.  Oh,  God!  They 
would  be  born  outside  the  Law."  The  shoe 
trembled  in  her  nerveless  hand,  and  she  stag- 


''Steve,  'she  said,'  Not  7,  but  We  must 
ask  forgiveness  of  their  Spirits." 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          119 

gered  forward  a  step,  Steve  caught  her  as  she 
broke  into  impassioned  sobbing. 

'  *  I  can 't !  I  can 't !  I  can 't ! "  she  cried.  Tensely 
she  held  to  him  the  shoe.  Steve  gazed  at  the 
shapeless  little  wisp  of  leather,  then  she  crushed 
it  to  her  bosom.  As  Steve  gazed,  the  shoe  lost 
form  and  in  her  arms  he  seemed  to  see  crushed 
to  her  in  tenderest  embrace,  the  pink  and  white 
form  of  a  baby.  The  cry  of  the  unborn  smote 
into  his  soul  that  racked  and  quivered  like  a 
breeze  awakened  leaf. 

"Lois, — can  you  ever  forgive  me?"  Lois 
turned  to  him.  her  eyes  brimming. 

"Steve,"  she  said,  "not  I,  but  WE,  must  ask 
forgiveness  of  their  spirits.  It  must  come  from 
the  little  ones  that  are  to  be."  She  paused,  then 
continued,  "Sometime,  Dear  Heart,  they  shall 
come  to  us." 

Together  they  walked  to  her  shelter  where  he 

kissed  her  a  lingering  goodnight. 

•**•*** 

Stealing  through  the  jungle  came  the  warriors 


120          THE  LAGOOX  OF  DESIRE 

of  the  people  lighting  their  way  in  the  darkness 
with  flaming  torches. 

Lois  and  Steve  had  just  fallen  asleep  when 
Blackton  crept  like  some  unclean  shadow  from 
the  jungle  behind  the  place  where  Lois  slept. 

In  the  blackness  outside  the  outer   reef   the 
pearling  fleet  drifted  slowly  before  the  sluggish 
breeze.    They  were  waiting  for  the  moonrise  be- 
fore they  tried  to  pass  the  narrow  entrance. 
***** 

Blackton  silently  worked  his  way  around  the 
shack  and  peered  inside  through  the  ill  fitting 
door.  Burning,  with  lowered  wick  upon  the  wall, 
was  one  of  the  schooner's  lamps.  His  quick 
eye  took  in  the  details  of  the  interior  at  one 
searching  glance.  He  saw  Lois  lying  asleep  upon 
the  bunk,  her  hair  loose  around  her  head  and 
as  the  night  was  warm,  without  covering  except 
her  thin  night  gown.  He  saw  the  black  box 
upon  the  floor  at  the  foot  of  the  bunk  unopened. 
It  was  that  which  he  wanted  most  of  all.  Push- 
ing the  door  inward  slowly  he  entered  and  knelt 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          121 

beside  the  box.  He  planned  to  open  it  and  take 
out  the  contents  while  Lois  slept. 

The  lock  of  the  box  was  obstinate  and  resisted 
the  prying  of  his  clasp  knife  and  he  lifted  it 
nearer  to  the  light.  As  he  rose  to  carry  it  to  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  Lois  stirred  restlessly  in 
her  sleep  and  one  of  her  limbs  slid  from  the  bunk 
and  overhung  it's  edge. 

Blackton  turned  at  the  sound  and  stopped. 
Placing  the  box  upon  the  ground  he  went  to 
her  and  sat  down  upon  the  edge  of  the  bunk  at 
her  feet.  His  eyes  devoured  her  unconscious  fig- 
ure, and  he  forgot  the  treasure  in  gloating  sensu- 
al appraisal.  He  forgot  caution.  He  forgot  that 
here  was  a  different  girl.  He  forgot  that  Steve 
must  be  near.  All  was  forgotten  in  the  in- 
tensity of  his  callous  desire.  He  bent  over  and 
the  fragrance  of  her  hair  intoxicated  him. 
Lois  opened  her  eyes  and  gazed  with  growing 
terror  into  the  suffused  face  that  hung  over  her's 
like  an  odious  mask  of  a  vile  doom. 

Blackton  saw  the  terror  in  her  face  and  the 


122          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

fear  that  lay  behind  it,  but  in  his  animal  degrada- 
tion ignored  her  feelings  and  slid  his  wanton 
hand  over  her,  stroking  her  body  in  infamous 
abandon,  Lois  tried  to  scream  but  was  paralyzed 
with  fright.  Then  he  seized  her  and  kissed  her. 
With  the  act  the  spell  of  Lois'  fright  was  broken 
and  her  voice  returned.  '  *  Steve ! ' '  she  screamed. 

Steve  bounded  from  his  bunk.  Without  stop- 
ping to  open  the  door  he  hurled  himself  through 
it  and  in  the  instant  dashed  through  the  partly 
open  door  of  Lois'  shack. 

Blackton  sprang  from  the  bunk  to  protect 
himself  but  Steve  was  on  him  like  a  man. 
A  rat  will  fight  when  cornered  and  Blackton 
fought  but  in  his  insane  fury,  Steve's  strength 
was  irresistible.  His  fingers  searched  for 
Blackton 's  throat  as  he  closed  with  him  and  they 
fell  to  the  floor  in  a  bounding,  killing,  thrashing 
embrace  that  smashed  the  chairs  and  table  into 
kindling.  They  struggled  to  their  feet  and 
Blackton 's  head  wiped  the  lamp  from  it's  place 
upon  the  wall.  It  fell  beneath  their  feet  and 


THE  LAGOOX  OF  DESIRE          123 

Steve  kicked  it  from  him.  It  rolled  underneath 
the  bunk,  flaming.  Lois  shrank  against  the 
wall  in  an  ecstasy  of  terror.  As  she  gazed  in 
wide  eyed  horror  at  the  struggle  Steve's  foot 
slipped  and  he  fell  backward  dragging  Black- 
ton  with  him.  To  Lois  it  looked  as  though  Black- 
ton  had  overcome  him  and  Lois  fainted. 

The  steel  fingers  found  Blacktoii's  throat  and 
tightened  until  Steve  could  feel  the  wind  pipe 
close.  With  one  despairing  effort  Blackton 
strove  to  break  the  hold  but  Steve's  grip  was 
inflexible.  Blackton  went  limp.  Though  he  still 
maintained  his  hold,  Steve  rose  to  his  feet  lift- 
ing Blackton 's  weight  by  the  throat  and  striding 
to  the  doorway,  caught  him  by  the  belt  with  the 
other  hand,  tossed  him  out. 

In  his  wild  excitement  Steve  could  see  nothing 
else  but  Blackton.  As  he  turned  to  Lois  he  real- 
ized that  the  flames  were  enveloping  the  shack. 
Rushing  to  the  bunk  he  gathered  her  clothing 
which  had  fallen  from  a  peg  in  the  wall  at  her 


124          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

feet,  upon  her  body  and  lifted  her  together  with 
the  clothing  to  his  arms. 

Steve  stumbled  over  something  that  lay  in  his 
way  as  he  went  to  the  door  of  the  burning  shack. 
It  was  the  black  box.  He  kicked  it  through  the 
open  door  where  it  fell  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
flames.  He  had  scarcely  cleared  the  doorway 
when  the  heavy  thatched  roof  fell  inward  to 
burn  with  volcanic  violence,  for  the  dry  palm 
leaves  went  like  tinder. 

He  gently  laid  Lois  on  the  sand  safely  out  of 
reach  of  the  flames  and  knelt  beside  her,  calling 
her  name.  She  revived  as  he  caressed  her  and 
threw  her  arms  about  him.  drawing  him  to  her 
as  though  to  protect  him.  whispering  endear- 
ments that  filled  his  soul  with  joy. 

In  the  jungle  were  the  natives  who  had,  upon 
seeing  the  fire,  paused  a  moment  in  their  ad- 
vance. Now  with  wild  yells  they  broke  cover 
and  surrounded  Steve  and  Lois.  They  had  come 
to  exact  vengeance  for  the  desecration  of  their 
God. 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          125 

Steve  gazed  at  them  in  wonderment.  In  their 
stay  upon  the  island  he  had  been  left  severely 
alone  by  the  natives  and  though  they  had  kept 
a  watch  on  he  and  Lois,  he  seldom  saw  them.  He 
was  at  a  loss  to  explain  their  coming. 

In  their  midst  was  Atel  attended  by  the  faith- 
ful Kalorn.  It  was  he  that  seized  Steve  and 
dragged  him  toward  the  elders  who  entered  the 
circle  of  the  warriors  with  measured  tread. 
Maktil  strode  to  Steve  and  beckoned  to  Atel, 
demanding  to  know  if  he  were  the  guilty  one. 
Atel  looked  at  Steve  in  puzzlement.  This  was 
not  the  heavy  browed,  red  faced  brute  that  had 
come  to  her  in  the  cavern.  Turning  to  Maktil 
she  shook  her  head  in  silence.  "He  is  not  the 
one,"  she  said.  "It  was  another." 

Just  outside  the  circle  of  the  firelight's  glow 
lay  Blackton.  He  had  regained  his  senses. 
Though  just  about  done  in  with  the  punishment 
he  had  received,  he  realized  that  here  were  the 
avengers  and  his  end.  He  struggled  to  his  hands 
and  knees,  cowering  in  the  fitful  shadows  and 


126          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

slowly  worked  his  way  toward  the  tall  tapa 
fringing  the  beachline.  He  had  nearly  reached 
it's  cover  when  Atel  cried  "It  was  another!" 
and  with  the  words,  the  one  remaining  wall  of  the 
shack  fell  inward,  sending  into  the  air  a  mighty 
shower  of  sparks. 

The  beach  was  illumined  for  the  instant  as 
though  with  sunlight  and  Lois,  whose  mind  was 
working  with  lightning  rapidity  from  Steve's 
peril,  caught  the  movement  of  the  creeping  fig- 
ure of  Blackton  from  the  tail  of  her  eye. 

"Look!"  she  cried.  "There  goes  the  guilty 
one !  He  is  escaping ! ' ' 

The  eyes  of  all  were  turned  in  Blackton 's  di- 
rection. A  dozen  warriors  sprang  to  intercept 
him.  He  was  dragged  into  the  circle  and  thrown 
upon  the  ground  at  the  feet  of  Atel.  Blackton 
cowered,  like  a  craven  cur  for  the  moment,  then 
rising  suddenly  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of 
Steve,  begging  him  to  save  him. 

Steve  looked  down  at  him  in  utter  disgust  but 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          127 

through  his  mind  there  flashed  the  thought  that 
here  was  a  white  man  doomed  to  native  torture. 
Richly  as  he  knew  that  Blackton  deserved  the 
punishment,  the  thought  aroused  within  him  the 
protecting  instinct  that  lives  in  the  hreasts  of 
those  of  the  same  blood.  He  paused  momentarily 
in  indecision  while  the  warriors  growled  at  the 
delay.  Lois  read  the  thought  in  Steve's  mind 
and  her  mind  reverted  to  the  fly  leaf  of  the  novel 
Blackton  had  given  her.  She  remembered  the 
brown  hand  clenched  in  vengeful  determination 
that  night  when  he  told  her  of  his  sister.  The 
leaf  was  hidden  in  the  locket  that  she  always 
wore  upon  her  neck. 

Lois  tore  the  locket  from  it's  fastenings  and 
opened  it  with  trembling  fingers,  taking  out  the 
folded  flyleaf. 

"Steve,"  she  cried.  "Read  this!  I  tore  it 
from  a  book  that  Captain  Blackton  loaned  me, 
weeks  ago." 

Steve  took  the  white  creased  page  from  her 
hand  and  read  the  name,  Gloria  Maitland!  In- 


128          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

stantly  he  recognized  the  handwriting,  his  face 
leprous  under  it's  coat  of  tan.  The  impulse  came 
to  kill  Blackton  then  and  there.  He  thought  of 
Lois  and  the  impulse  strengthened,  but  Lois, 
noting  the  almost  imperceptible  swaying  of  his 
body  toward  Blackton  as  he  tensed,  laid  a  soft 
hand  upon  his  arm,  looking  into  his  eyes,  saying 
"No!" 

His  face  lost  it's  rancor  as  he  looked  into  her 
eyes  and  he  turned  away.  As  he  turned  his  back 
Blackton  screamed  in  tortured  anguish  of  soul. 
The  act  he  knew  was  the  sealing  of  his  doom. 

The  warriors  seized  him  and  bore  him  into  the 
brooding  blackness  of  the  jungle.  The}'  carried 
him  to  the  Place  of  the  Flames.  Here  they 
found  the  very  old  men  of  the  tribe  seated  in 
council  awaiting  their  return. 

The  council  circle  opened  to  admit  the  war- 
riors with  Blackton.  As  Atel  confronted  him, 
he  sank  to  his  knees  and  grasping  the  withered 
garland  that  hung  from  her  loins  begged  in  an 
agony  of  despair  for  his  life.  In  the  heart  of 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          129 

Atel  there  was  a  great  bitterness,  and  she  turned 
from  him  with  loathing. 

It  was  Maktil  that  answered  for  her.  "Let 
him  live  in  the  Labyrinth  of  the  Dead."  As  the 
sentence  was  pronounced  there  passed  before 
Blackton's  mind  the  long  line  of  those  whom  he 
had  wronged.  This  time  they  seemed  to  say, 
as  they  pointed  their  shadowy  fingers  at  him — 
''The  cup  is  overflowing.  Now  is  the  time  to 
pay." 

Blackton  was  seized  by  eager  hands  that 
dragged  him  into  a  dark  corridor  that  led  down- 
ward, far  below  the  base  of  the  mountain.  At 
the  end  of  the  passage  an  opening  in  the  flooi 
yawned  blackly.  As  they  gazed  into  the  creepy 
darkness  of  the  pit,  the  place  was  illumined  with 
a  green,  ghostly  glow  of  the  fires  of  Hui,  for 
they  were  very  near  to  the  crater  of  molten  rock 
that  boiled  and  blazed  with  the  green  fires  of 
burning  copper.  This  was  the  burial  pit  of  the 
people.  Once  dropped  through  the  opening,  it 
was  the  end,  for  there  was  no  way  out.  Blackton 


130          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

caught  a  glimpse  of  what  lay  below.  In  the  hot 
dry  air  of  the  pit,  the  bodies  of  those  who  had 
gone  before  had  dried  and  shriveled  until  their 
mummy-like  figures  were  as  hard  and  stiff  as 
wooden  carvings. 

As  Blackton  gazed  upon  that  pile  of  dried  hu- 
manity, each  lying  just  as  it  had  fallen,  he  be- 
came maudlin  in  his  terror,  and  his  shrieks  re- 
sounded in  echoing  mockery  through  the  wind- 
ing channels  of  the  place. 

In  his  ecstasy  of  horror,  he  was  powerless  to 
move,  and  they  lifted  him  frozen,  inert,  and 
dropped  him  through  the  opening.  The  green 
fires  lifted  in  their  mad  dance  as  he  fell  upon  the 
silent  forms,  then  died  slowly  down  to  abso- 
lute blackness.  Blackton 's  throat  was  choked 
with  fear.  He  tried  to  articulate  but  only  hoarse 
sounds  came. 

The  darkness  became  peopled  with  vaporous 
shapes  that  seemed  to  creep  slowly  toward  him, 
pointing,  menacing.  Then  the  figure  of  Mark- 
ham,  leading  by  the  hand  the  nebulous  form  of 


THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE          131 

Gloria  Maitland  came  from  the  blackness  and 
confronted  him.  From  Markham's  head  there 
stood  the  pick  appallingly  vivid,  luridly  red.  As 
they  approached  him,  Blackton  became  a  raving 
maniac,  and  leaped  at  the  apparition  to  destroy 
it.  His  clawing  hands  clutched  futilely  at  the 
transparent  figment  of  his  ruined  mind,  and  lie 
laughed,  laughed  the  high  pitched,  cracked,  soul- 
chilling  laugh  of  the  hopeless  paranoia.  Like 
some  unshriven  ghoulish  phantom  of  a  church- 
yard, he  groped  his  way  down  the  winding  maze 
of  passages  to  become  to  the  light  of  day  forever 
lost.  Hui  was  avenged. 

The  people  moved  in  solemn  file  from  the 
Place  of  the  Dead  to  the  fresh  cool  air  of  the 
outer  cavern.  There  Kalom  embraced  Atel,  freed 
from  the  arms  of  Hui  by  the  vile  desecrater  of 
her  honor.  Together  they  left  the  place  to  find 
a  new  home  far  around  the  island  where  the 
storm  had  spared  the  cocoanuts,  happy  in  their 
unexpected  reunion. 


132          THE  LAGOON  OF  DESIRE 

Arm  around  her,  Steve  led  Lois  to  the  rustic 
bench  that  overlooked  the  sea.  The  moon  was 
just  emerging  from  the  depths  fully  round  and 
argent.  It's  silvery  light  flowed  in  a  broad  path- 
way to  their  very  feet.  It  was  as  though  to  guide 
them  to  the  east  which  was  their  home.  Heads 
drooping  one  against  the  other  they  fell  asleep 
to  dream  of  a  new  day.  With  the  moon-rise 
came  the  pearling  fleet  which  as  they  crossed  the 
white  disk  of  the  lifting  moon,  silently  dropped 
their  sails  and  came  to  anchor. 


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